Joe GallopBirmingham City Council has announced the launch of a new 10-day festival that will celebrate the one year anniversary of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Commissioned and supported by Birmingham City Council and delivered by the team behind the 2022 Games, organisers said the event will celebrate the city’s creativity, as a sign of its ongoing commitment to funding culture.
The festival, taking place from 28 July to 6 August, will be held in Centenary Square and involve a programme of free-to-attend events that will be announced in June.
The organising team includes Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces (OPUS) and JA Productions, led by creative director Raidene Carter and executive director Will Mauchline. Programme partners includie SAMPAD, Fabric, ACE Dance & Music, and United By 2022 Legacy Charity.
The event will feature live music and performance, creative and participatory activities and big-screen content. Organisers said the programme will be committed to diversity, inclusion and homegrown talent.
British screenwriter Steven Knight CBE and former gold-medal winning Team England Netball Captain, Ama Agbeze have been announced as patrons of the festival.
Birmingham City Council leader Cllr Ian Ward said, “In addition to 11 days of world class sport, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games were a huge celebration of our city’s fantastic culture and creativity and we promised 2022 would be just the start. The Festival will once again shine a spotlight on the youth and diversity that make Birmingham such an amazing city.”
Raidene Carter, who was executive producer for Birmingham 2022 Festival, said, “Last year we really showcased Birmingham’s creativity and it ran through everything from the opening and closing ceremonies watched by millions, the medal design process with local students, to the more discrete handcrafted gifts and experiences created for Athletes – we no longer have to prove to the world that this place is full of talent.
“So, this year is about really celebrating how creative this city is, and the thousands of people who took part. That’s why we’re encouraging more artists, collectives and creatives to get involved. Birmingham Festival 23 is just the start of what we imagine to be a longer term cultural legacy of the City.”