Culture and colour as festival for Games launches
There were plenty of smiles, music and fun as one of the biggest multicultural events to ever take place in the region was officially launched.
The Birmingham 2022 Festival began its six-month long cultural programme taking place across Birmingham and the West Midlands with a special showcase event at Birmingham Symphony Hall.
More than 1,300 people were in attendance, including members of groups taking place in events during the festival, to celebrate the start of six months of cultural events celebrating the Commonwealth and the region.
It also featured a performance by tap dancing group Tappin' In and a special secret concert by Birmingham reggae legends UB40, as well as video packages of events set to take place at the festival.
Tappin' In artistic director Stephanie Riding said it was very overwhelming to see her group on stage performing and said the festival was a great showcase for the region.
She said: "I don't think it will really hit home what we are doing and what is happening until after we perform in the festival.
"Our project is very much about shouting up about the West Midlands and the people of the region and having them to rightly shout up about it.
"There's a lot of negativity about this region and I don't understand that as there is some brilliant talent here and it'll be great to see it all in action."
UB40 singer and guitarist Robin Campbell said it was a massive festival to be part of and said it was an honour to be there.
He said: "It's just lovely to be asked to be involved as it's a wonderful celebration of not just music, but also the cultural diversity of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
"We've always been ambassadors for the city and we love the fact that there is now a huge festival over the next six months, and for us to be involved is the icing on the cake.
"We'll try to go to events where we can, but while we're touring during a lot of it, but we will be part of the games in some way."
Chief creative officer Martin Green and executive producer Raidene Carter gave speeches at the start of the event, speaking about how the festival came about and highlighting their own personal excitement at the launch of the event.
Martin Green said he wanted the legacy of the festival to being able to give new and unknown voices a platform and to encourage confidence and creativity.
He said: "You can see the legacy in the hard and soft sides and I feel it is equally important to give people confidence to be creative.
"We are giving a stage to many new voices and all too often unheard voices and I think collaboration has been a big key as the great thing about a mega event like this has been getting everyone to work together to the same deadline.
"Additionally, we've introduced new people to funding opportunities and run a skills and capacity-building programme underneath the festival, so it's going to give a more refreshed, vibrant and confident sector going forward."
The festival will have more than 200 events, including a spectacular open-air show, a brand-new Birmingham-inspired album, an immersive 3D experience on public transport, photography exhibitions across billboards, a city centre forest of magical proportions and a mass tap-dancing extravaganza, among other events.
With events running from March to September, the festival aims to put Birmingham and the West Midlands’ creativity, ambition, heritage and diversity on a global stage.
Raidene Carter said the festival aimed to be a broad event, with something for everyone, and spoke about the significance of launching the event in the Symphony Hall.
She said: "We've got events happening in all parts of the West Midlands and a lot of it in the public realm, so it's really accessible out in parks, open spaces when the weather starts to get better and other venues that feel more traditional.
"It's a bit scary to launch this here, but also fantastic as it's a brilliant venue and we'll have so much going on here as well.
"There's so many strands that run alongside the festival, so you can bring a family along for some events, while others are designed for people interested in more thoughtful and provocative work."
The £12 million festival has been supported by a range of funders with the aim of animating the entire West Midlands with ambitious creative works, including major support dedicated by Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Birmingham City Council and Spirit of 2012.
The festival starts on Thursday, March 17 with Wondrous Stories in Centenary Square.
For more information on the festival, go to birmingham2022.com/festival
