Throughout the summer, until 17th Sept, the Inspire 16 exhibition at the Gas Hall on Edmund Street will become a hub for young people and families, where work from Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s youth art competition will be displayed. The show will also include engaging and fun activities for children of all ages to enjoy and the chance to see some of the stunning BookBench sculptures as part of The Big Read trail.
Birmingham Museum Trust’s first youth arts competition winners
Winners of the Inspire 16 competition were announced on Monday 11th July with Sonia Tam, aged 17, securing the top prize for her mixed media textural piece inspired by the atmosphere and textures of an old fishing village ‘Tai O’ at her family home in Hong Kong.
To celebrate Birmingham’s Year of Arts and Young People the competition launched in February, and encouraged young people aged 11-19 from across the city and surrounding areas to get creative and produce an art piece about something that inspires them.
The entries ranged from textile designs to digital art and the competition aims to showcase the breadth of young talent in the city and the diverse ways they can showcase their skills. 70 entries were shortlisted and will be displayed throughout the summer at Gas Hall until 17th September.
Family fun for the summer holidays
As the summer holidays approach, the Hall will also be home to a range of fun family activities and workshops. Every day of the week there will be something different for children and young people of all ages to take part in, including Art in the Sky stargazing crafts and animal themed tours. All activities will be free or cost under £5, offering families an entertaining and affordable way to spend the summer holidays, which doesn’t rely on the unpredictable British summer weather.
The Big Read 2016
The Inspire 16 exhibition will also be a chance for visitors to see some of The Big Read BookBenches which have been individually designed by nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and community groups in the region. Families will be able to follow the trail of 24 benches throughout the Hall and around BMAG, before exploring the rest of the trail in the city and at other Birmingham Museums sites, including Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Aston Hall and Sarehole Mill.
Birmingham Big Art Project
As part of the celebration of art and young people, Birmingham Big Art Project will be showcasing 140 small scale models at the exhibition. The models created by children from Hillstone Primary Academy, Gossey Lane School and Brownmead Academy reflect the initiative by The Big Art Project to create an iconic sculpture for the city of Birmingham, and the number of sculptures is set to grow over the summer as children add to the display.
The models have been inspired by the five internationally acclaimed artists who have been shortlisted to create the new piece of public art, and their work is currently on display at Millennium Point outside Thinktank Science Museum.
Comments from Birmingham Museums
Andy Fowles, Learning and Access Manager at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “The young people in Birmingham are brilliantly talented and we wanted to give them a platform to showcase their work at the biggest museum and art gallery in the city. We had some really creative and exciting entries to the competition and we can’t wait for the people of Birmingham to see them.
“The summer truly is a time for children and young people to enjoy themselves, and we’ve got something for everyone at our family hub in the Gas Hall. Even if the sun isn’t shining parents know they can bring their children along and there will be a range of fun and interesting activities for them to take part in.”
Inspire 16 also includes exhibitions from, Arts Award 10, where Arts Connect will showcase examples and stories from the first 10 years of Arts Council England’s qualification for young people, and a display by Friction Arts and their heritage project ‘Yesterday’s Dreams’ which has been developed with young people.
For more information about the workshops and activities at the Gas Hall this summer please visit www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on
BMAG Inspire Event 11th July 2016
BMAG Inspire Event 11th July 2016 Pictures by Paul Thomas Photographic Ltd 0121 353 7299 Mobile 07773340163 email info@ptpimages.co.uk web: www.ptpimages.co.uk