We would like our legacy on creative and cultural participation to mean that we deliver a six-month cultural festival showcasing the creativity of Birmingham and the West Midlands. This is an opportunity to enhance the national and international profile of the region and maximise the social, economic, and cultural benefits of the Games and its cultural projects.

As people come together and local communities are inspired to engage with arts and culture we can create a more diverse, more representative audience for arts and culture in the region. From large scale productions to community events, we will set a tone that democratises culture, inviting as-yet-unheard voices onto the global stage alongside the world-class arts institutions of the region. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity – to positively disrupt the region’s cultural sector, to increase skills, capacity, to create lasting change and drive forward the development of a new regional 10-year culture strategy.

“To have one major cultural festival in the region is amazing; to have two is incredible. Together they offer an 18 month focus on arts and culture. This is something we must use well – whether to showcase ourselves as a wonderful place to visit or invest in, to underline the interdependency of culture and wellbeing, or to re-affirm the cultural personality of the city and region and define what we want the future to be.” Martin Green CBE, Chief Creative Officer, Birmingham 2022

“I’m excited about 2022, the stage is set for this to become a great moment for Birmingham. It’s no secret that I want to reach out to new and more diverse audiences and I love that this Games has ambitions to do this as part of its legacy, as well as supporting the rich cultural sector here to thrive.” Carlos Acosta, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet

For Businesses

For businesses in the creative and cultural sector the Games and surrounding events is a potent catalyst to drive recovery by building capacity and opportunity in the region’s cultural sector. The Games and Festival will:

  • Shine a light on the region’s talent and character through performance, mass cast, installation, exhibitions, events, digital experiences, and creative participation.
  • Create opportunities for skills development, employment, and volunteering.
  • Be a shop window for trade, tourism, and investment.
  • Support the independent sector, from freelancers to producers, as well as large organisations.

 

For Communities

We want to bring people together by directly engaging with, and participating in, the festival activities surrounding the Games. Public artworks, events, and performances will occupy neighbourhoods, parks, waterways, venues, and civic spaces of the city and region for six-months. And we want to bring different communities together, for example disabled and non-disabled people through arts participation and performance projects.

We want Festival 2022 to draw on both local and international talent and to reach as many people as possible.

Through the £2 million Birmingham City Council Creative Communities Fund there will be grants for cultural projects in every ward of Birmingham. It will support community arts organisations to be part of the Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival. This will ensure that local groups from across the city are able to share their talents and their Birmingham story on a global stage. You can find out more on the Birmingham City Council website.

For Individuals

There are plenty of ways for individuals to get involved in the creative and cultural elements of the Games.

The cultural festival, the Queen’s Baton Relay, and free live performance sites will offer a low/no barrier way for people to be and feel part of the Games. Learn more about Birmingham 2022’s Culture programme 

There are also opportunities to volunteer or register interest in participating. Learn more about Volunteering with Birmingham 2022