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Elliott Brown Art; Culture & creativity
07 Mar 2022 - Elliott Brown
Gallery

Wondrous Stories for the Birmingham 2022 Festival in Centenary Square

Rehearsals were taking place on Saturday afternoon, around 4pm on the 5th March 2022. For the Birmingham 2022 Festival. An event called Wondrous Stories will take place on the evenings between 17th and 20th March 2022 in Centenary Square. Saw four people abseiling in different directions. They have taken over the Reflective Pool.

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Wondrous Stories for the Birmingham 2022 Festival in Centenary Square





Rehearsals were taking place on Saturday afternoon, around 4pm on the 5th March 2022. For the Birmingham 2022 Festival. An event called Wondrous Stories will take place on the evenings between 17th and 20th March 2022 in Centenary Square. Saw four people abseiling in different directions. They have taken over the Reflective Pool.


Wondrous Stories is part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, in the months leading up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Free and unticketed event is scheduled to take place on the evenings of: 17th March 2022 at 7pm. Then from the 18th to 20th March 2022 at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

A spectacular open air show featuring Motionhouse's professionally trained dance-circus company, alongside a mass cast of hundreds from Critical Mass, Freewheelin Dance Company, Motionhouse Youth, Sampad and DanceXchange.  Led by Artistic Director Kevin Finnan MBE. 

The show features additional choreography by Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play, Phoenix Dance) and Sonia Sabri (Sonia Sabri Dance Company), live spoken word performance from Coventry and Birmingham-based artists Raza Hussain and Sebbie Mudhai, and digital projections by Logela Multimedia. Birmingham’s Choir With No Name sing to an uplifting soundtrack by Sophy Smith and Tim Dickinson, and designer Sophie Donaldson leads Birmingham City University students in costume creation, making this a magical collaboration of talent.

Produced by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces.

 

Rehearsals were taking place on stages installed on the Reflective Pool in Centenary Square on Saturday afteroon, around 4pm, 5th March 2022.

dndimg alt="Wondrous Stories B2022" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wondrous Stories B2022 Fest 05032022 (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Wondrous Stories B2022" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wondrous Stories B2022 Fest 05032022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Wondrous Stories B2022" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wondrous Stories B2022 Fest 05032022 (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Views below taken from the Discovery Terrace, Level 3 at the Library of Birmingham.

dndimg alt="Wondrous Stories B2022" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wondrous Stories B2022 Fest 05032022 (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Wondrous Stories B2022" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Wondrous Stories B2022 Fest 05032022 (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown. Some words above taken from Motionhouse.

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Elliott Brown Art; Culture & creativity
08 Feb 2022 - Elliott Brown
Gallery

Gaia: Earth Art Work at Millennium Point

Gaia is a sculpture of the Earth, which is located at Millennium Point in Eastside, from 1st February to 28th March 2022. Luke Jerram's Gaia Exhibition is touring the world. Next stop Switzerland. But first enjoy it in Birmingham, UK! Elliott poped to Millennium Point on 2-2-2022.

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Gaia: Earth Art Work at Millennium Point





Gaia is a sculpture of the Earth, which is located at Millennium Point in Eastside, from 1st February to 28th March 2022. Luke Jerram's Gaia Exhibition is touring the world. Next stop Switzerland. But first enjoy it in Birmingham, UK! Elliott poped to Millennium Point on 2-2-2022.


Gaia is an art installation by the artist Luke Jerram. From the 1st February to 28th March 2022, visitors to the foyer in Millennium Point in Eastside, can see a giant spinning model of the Earth.

It features NASA imagery of the Earth's surface. 

If you stand 211 metres away, you can see the Earth as if you are seeing it from the Moon. 

Pretend that you are an Apollo astrounaut on the Moon between 1969 and 1972.

See it from the balcony, or see it from underneath, or from the escalators or lifts.

dndimg alt="Gaia Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gaia MP 02022022 (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Gaia Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gaia MP 02022022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Gaia Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gaia MP 02022022 (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Gaia Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gaia MP 02022022 (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Gaia Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gaia MP 02022022 (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Gaia Millennium Point" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gaia MP 02022022 (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

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60 passion points
Elliott Brown Art; Culture & creativity
07 Feb 2022 - Elliott Brown
Gallery

Chinese New Year 2020 and 2022 in Birmingham

The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome were back again at the Bullring & Grand Central. Once again in the West Mall performance area, just outside of the former entrances of Debenhams. I forgot that they last performed there in late January 2020. So this was their first performance in a little over two years!

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Chinese New Year 2020 and 2022 in Birmingham





The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome were back again at the Bullring & Grand Central. Once again in the West Mall performance area, just outside of the former entrances of Debenhams. I forgot that they last performed there in late January 2020. So this was their first performance in a little over two years!


Happy Chinese New Year.  There was no dancing Chinese lions / dragons in 2021, but they are back in the first week of February 2022!

The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee, took the dancing lion / dragon all over Birmingham and Solihull. I was not able to be where they were, as much as I would have liked to see it. So below will have to do.

I've not been able to get the dancing lion / dragon, since I got the yellow one at Cathedral Square in 2018.

 

January 2020

It was Chinese New Year, and that year it was the Year of the Rat. A little over two months later the first lockdown began, and this seemed like a distant memory.

 

Photos below taken on 23rd January 2020.

The Bullring Bull in it's Chinese New Year of the Rat outfit. Two years later (2022) the Bull does not have an outfit on (for the Year of the Tiger). But nice to look two years back (to a couple of months before the first lockdown).

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY of the Rat Bullring bull (Jan 20) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY of the Rat Bullring bull (Jan 20) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY of the Rat Bullring bull (Jan 20) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos below taken on the 25th January 2020.

These views from the top floor balcony in the West Mall of Bullring & Grand Central. The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee putting on a display. It was crowded on all floors.

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2020 Bullring 25012020 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2020 Bullring 25012020 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2020 Bullring 25012020 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

February 2022

Photos below taken 1st February 2022.

Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat began on the 1st February 2022. The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee were performing all over the City, and in Solihull on the 1st and 2nd February. But I kept missing them, so got the below instead.

 

Southside Media Eye at Birmingham New Street Station - Welcome to the Year of the Rat.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Tiger BNSS BRGC 01022022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Ming Moon Chinese Restaurant & Karaoke Bar. Chinese lanterns seen on Hurst Street.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ming Moon CNY 01022022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Birmingham Hippodrome on Hurst Street. Digital billboard wishing you a Happy (Chinese) New Year!

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BH Hurst St 01022022 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos below taken on 5th February 2022.

Two years later, and the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome were back with more performances in the Bullring West Mall. This time I took them from the middle floor balcony. Crowds of people on all floors, was hard to get a spot, so took a few photos over peoples heads.

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Join us for spectacular Chinese New Year Celebrations. 5th February, 12pm - 5pm. Seen on the Media Eye at Birmingham New Street Station, facing the Bullring. View from the Moor Street Link Bridge.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/HNYC Grand Central BNSS 05022022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos below taken on 6th February 2022.

From the 1st to 5th February 2022, I kept missing seeing the dancing Chinese lion with the drums. Then managed to get them on The Queen's 70th Anniversary of her Asccension. I saw them at The Arcadian while they were on Cathay Street.

dndimg alt="Cathay St Arcadian" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY Cathay St Arcadian 06022022 (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Cathay St Arcadian" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY Cathay St Arcadian 06022022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Gent 48 street art on Wrottesley Street in Southside. Part of the same mural that is on Bath Passage. Seen from Ladywell Walk, opposite The Arcadian.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gent 48 Wrottesley St Sside 06022022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

On Hurst Street. Lamppost with Chinese lanterns. Below is a Birmingham 2022 banner, Be Bold Be Birmingham. Ahead is the unpleasant concrete eyesore over Smallbrook Queensway, with graffiti that urgently needs removing. Or the building demolishing.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hurst St BBBB Chinese 06022022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

A Gent 48 piece at the end of Smallbrook Queensway near Holloway Circus and Horse Fair. Of a Panda. It's been here since at least 2019 (I took another photo of it when I first saw it three years ago).

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gent 48 SMQ Panda 06022022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

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Elliott Brown Music & musicians
11 Jan 2022 - Elliott Brown
News & Updates

UB40 launched Musical Routes at Hall Green Station back in November 2021

(Late News). Near the end of November 2021, surviving members of UB40 were at Hall Green Station to unveil the first Musical Routes sign. The project is the brainchild of the Birmingham Music Archive founded by Jez Collins. While Birmingham We Are's Elliott Brown was at work that day, on the following Saturday morning, he got a few photos of the sign, with the thawing snow.

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UB40 launched Musical Routes at Hall Green Station back in November 2021





(Late News). Near the end of November 2021, surviving members of UB40 were at Hall Green Station to unveil the first Musical Routes sign. The project is the brainchild of the Birmingham Music Archive founded by Jez Collins. While Birmingham We Are's Elliott Brown was at work that day, on the following Saturday morning, he got a few photos of the sign, with the thawing snow.


dndimg alt="UB40 Hall Green" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/UB40 Hall Green Station WMR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />UB40 launch Musical Routes at Hall Green Station. Photo courtesy of West Midlands Railway. Friday 26th November 2021.

 

Saturday 27th November 2021

After hearing about this in the local news, the day after UB40 was at Hall Green Station, I walked here, before heading to catch the no 6 bus on the Stratford Road to the City Centre.

View from the footbridge of Hall Green Station. I normally get on from Welby Road (there is a path from Brooklands Road).

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

In the station car park is the new Musical Routes sign below the new West Midlands Railway sign for Hall Green Station.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

The map of Hall Green features Moseley & Kings Heath, Sparkbrook, Springfield (Sparkhill) and Hall Green. The map shows locations where famous Brummie musicians first started out, such as Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, UB40, Ocean Colour Scene, Bev Bevan and Laura Mvula.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Overnight had been some late November 2021 snow, but by the time I went out, it was thawing. The Musical Routes sign is near the disabled car parking spots.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Heading out of the Hall Green Station car park towards the Stratford Road, to catch a no 6 bus. It's been a while since I last caught a train from this station (due to cancellations as a result of a shortage ot train drivers and other reasons). 

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

National Express West Midlands is just a bit more reliable now than West Midlands Railway.

 

There will be other Musical Routes signs at other railway stations around Birmingham, but as yet, have not seen any more (or had time to visit any of them, other than my University and Perry Barr station rebuild updates).

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

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100 passion points
Elliott Brown Art; Culture & creativity
06 Jan 2022 - Elliott Brown
Gallery

Some more rainbow crossings

It's not just in Birmingham's Southside that you will find rainbow crossings. All around the UK. Such as in Taunton in Somerset. As well as closer to home in Solihull, and in Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. Happy New Year 2022. Not done many posts recently as they don't seem to get published by Jonathan as fast as Daniel's get's up, and nothing much to post.

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Some more rainbow crossings





It's not just in Birmingham's Southside that you will find rainbow crossings. All around the UK. Such as in Taunton in Somerset. As well as closer to home in Solihull, and in Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. Happy New Year 2022. Not done many posts recently as they don't seem to get published by Jonathan as fast as Daniel's get's up, and nothing much to post.


Taunton, Somerset

Near the end of the first South West holiday at the end of August 2021 (Devon and Somerset). On Saturday 28th August 2021 in Taunton, Somerset, heading to the Museum of Somerset, we entered Goodland Gardens (near The Bridge and River Tone). Saw this rainbow path. No cycling is allowed down this path. Stopped for coffee nearby at The Shed.

dndimg alt="Rainbow Crossing Taunton" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Pride Taunton (Aug 2021) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Solihull, West Midlands

On Sunday 19th December 2021, heading to Cineworld at Touchwood in Solihull, to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home. A little early, so took a side path to the rear entrance near Manor Square. Found this rainbow path between Touchwood and the Solihull Council House. I don't think there had been a crossing at this point before.

dndimg alt="Rainbow path Solihull" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Rainbow crossing Sol CH 19122021.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

It had been a few months since I last got a train, so on Thursday 30th December 2021, I bought off peak return tickets in the Chiltern Railways app, and travelled down to Leamington Spa again, on the Chiltern Mainline, for a bit of walk around the Town Centre, and to have a coffee at Caffe Nero. On The Parade I spotted a rainbow crossing between Jephson Gardens and Pump Room Gardens. It was raining on and off, and took these from Pump Room Gardens later on the walk back to the station.

dndimg alt="Rainbow path Leamington Spa" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Rainbow crossing Leamington Spa 30122021 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Rainbow path Leamington Spa" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Rainbow crossing Leamington Spa 30122021 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

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