100 Days To Go: Birmingham 2022 Festival

Opening on 17 March 2022, the £12million Birmingham 2022 Festival will officially begin with Wondrous Stories, a spectacular free production in Centenary Square

Rhys Beardmore | Friday 7th January 2022 9:19pm

In just 100 days, the Birmingham 2022 Festival will burst to life in the heart of Birmingham city centre with a free spectacular outdoor production featuring a cast of over 300 performers.

On 17 March 2022, Wondrous Stories, by world renowned and Leamington Spa based dance-circus company, Motionhouse, will open in Centenary Square with free performances every evening until 20 March 2022.

New imagery released today gives a hint at the spectacle that will await audiences as aerialists and dancers take to the skies above the public square and giant set pieces, such as a flying book, hover over the skyline.

The production will be created and produced by three West Midlands based organisations; Motionhouse, OPUS and JA Productions.

Kevin Finnan, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Motionhouse said; "Today marks a milestone in the countdown to Wondrous Stories coming to life in the heart of Birmingham city centre. We've started working on the different elements of the show and are excited to see this incredibly ambitious production come to life."

Announced today, Wondrous Stories will also feature Choir with No Name Birmingham, a unique choir involving people who have experienced homelessness, or are simply going through a tough time in their lives. The Choir with No Name's mission is to empower as many homeless and marginalised people as possible to showcase their talents, build personal resilience and positive, joyful singing communities.

Sally Debiage, Choir Manager said; "We are enormously proud and excited that Choir with No Name Birmingham are involved in such a significant and exciting event for the city. It is a brilliant opportunity for some of the most marginalised and socially disadvantaged members of the community in Birmingham to share their voice and shine."

The production will also feature participants from Critical Mass, a new inclusive dance collective of up to 300 young people, led by Birmingham 2022 Festival and DanceXchange. Critical Mass participants will get the incredible opportunity to work with the three creatives and the Motionhouse dancers to make the choreographic content of Wondrous Stories. Critical Mass will form part of the large cast of the production, performing alongside the professional Motionhouse performers as well as choirs, actors and poets. A limited number of places are still available for young people aged 18-30 who are dance confident to be a part of Critical Mass – for more information visit criticalmass22.org.uk.

Running from March to September 2022 as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Birmingham 2022 Festival will feature hundreds of creative commissions across the region, benefitting hundreds of artists and thousands of participants, communities and audiences.

Raidene Carter, Executive Producer for Birmingham 2022 Festival said; "It is incredibly exciting to be approaching our opening night. We have been working hard with the region's exceptional talent for almost two years to build a programme that truly shines a global spotlight on creativity right here in the West Midlands. I can't wait to share all that the festival has to offer with the world as a part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games."

Members of the public can visit birmingham2022.com/festival to find out more about other highlights of the festival and sign up to be amongst the first to discover the full programme when it is unveiled in early 2022. Those who sign up will also receive more information in the coming months about further opportunities to be involved in the festival.

The £12million festival has been generously supported by a range of funders with the aim of animating the entire West Midlands with ambitious creative works. Major support has been dedicated by Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund plus funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund and Canada Council for the Arts. Additional projects have been supported by Spirit of 2012, Birmingham City Council and British Council.

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