National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million
As part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the festival showcased art, photography, dance, theatre and more. It opened with Wondrous Stories, created and directed by Kevin Finnan MBE. This large-scale production transformed Birmingham’s Centenary Square with giant aerial spectacles, innovative digital projections and a community cast of over 300.
Other attractions included Wonderland, a unique heritage project exhibiting the cinema history of Birmingham, including:
- fairground film shows
- the birth of the Odeon
- South Asian picturehouses
- the multiplex era
The Eastside Projects explored Birmingham’s position within the Commonwealth, from the perspective of four international artists from Toronto and Johannesburg. They created a series of new site-specific projects across the city.
At the announcement of the grant, Anne Jenkins, Director of Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Thanks to funds raised by National Lottery players, the West Midlands will take centre stage. Six months of creative programming from artists and community groups will enable local people and a national audience to engage with the rich cultural heritage of the area.”
The Commonwealth Games and festival will also help transform areas across the West Midlands. They will attract new funding and investment, and create jobs and apprenticeships for local people.
Find out more at the Birmingham 2022 Festival website.