Birmingham Light Festival – A story of collaboration
08 January 2025
On 14 January we will be announcing the full programme for the first Birmingham Light Festival which will see the city-centre transformed into an illuminated gallery. The line-up is honestly extraordinary, particularly in the context of the timeline and resources we’re working with.
As I’ve reflected on what we’ve already achieved with this new hero event for the city, it struck me that the development of this festival really is the story of a city coming together to deliver something extraordinary in the face of adversity.
First the five city-centre BIDs united and invested collectively in the concept (the first time this has happened). That investment then allowed us to onboard a small team of Birmingham creatives and professionals to bring the concept to life – not least Birmingham based producers, OPUS.
Then all of this allowed us to engage wider partners and bring in like-minded funders and collaborators – all of whom we’ll be announcing later this month.
From there we ran the open call for events and the response was just fantastic. We had submissions from some of the city’s biggest cultural organisations, from restaurants and bars and from freelancers, artists and creative collectives. What you’ll see on 14 January is a curated line-up of activities from like-minded culture and hospitality partners across the city-centre. And by like-minded I mean, those who share the vision of Birmingham Light Festival and what an event like this could deliver for the city in both the short term and the long term.
Add into that mix a partnership with United by 2022, the Volunteer Partners for Birmingham Light Festival who are busy bringing together a passionate team of over 60 volunteers to bring the festival to life and support visitors in discovering this very special city!
And what of the light artworks I hear you ask, well I don’t want to give too much away when the official announcement is just around the corner, but let me just say that we’ll be showcasing an internationally renowned piece (recently shown at the original light festival – Fête des Lumières), a brand new (debuted this year) UK artwork, and through our permanent commissions some locally designed and produced pieces too. You’ll also have the chance to enjoy some artworks that have delighted audiences around the UK but are yet to be seen in Birmingham.
As the big event starts to draw closer, do give us a follow on Instagram or sign up to the BLF mailing list as we’ll be sharing much more from next week onwards! And most importantly, save the dates for Birmingham Light Festival: 19 – 22 February 2025, and come and see the city in a different light!
