Plant Art Installation BE FESTIVAL Now Open In Birmingham

A four-day installation that is made up of plants lent by local residents has opened at Midlands Arts Centre. More than 350 plants have been lent to the art work and placed on the MAC stage to create a conceptual map of the city.

Created by Fabrice Mazliah / Work Of Act, formerly MAMAZA (Germany), the company has been knocking on doors of residents from across the city to borrow favourite plants to create an exotic ephemeral communal garden.

The installation is inspired by the myth of Libertalia, an anarchist colony in 17th century Madagascar where pirates liberated ships of slaves and they all lived together in freedom in an exotic and peaceful community. Garden State is the second artwork for BE FESTIVAL 2022 following Trigger of Happiness at the Crescent Theatre 3 - 4 June, and is presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

The installations hosts a programme of free performances, starting last night (8 June) with Birmingham Laureate Casey Bailey, as well as workshops and talks about the future of green space in Birmingham and the role green space plays in the city. Speakers will include those from local seed bank UK Vegetable Genebank, and Jennie Fryer from Martineau Gardens and Debbie Needle from Future Parks Accelerator.

Casey Bailey (Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020-2022), performed on the opening night and said, "It was a real pleasure and a blessing to be able to perform at BE FESTIVAL this year. To be in such a beautifully curated space was so special, and the audience were just great. One of the most positive experiences of performing I have had in a good while."

BE FESTIVAL was created to turn the notion of theatre upside down, crossing borders, creative disciplines and blurring boundaries between audiences. This year's is the final BE FESTIVAL under current artistic directors Isla Aguilar and Miguel Oyarzun.

BE FESTIVAL (shortened from Birmingham European Festival) takes place annually in the Summer. Inspired by positive experiences touring to European festivals, Isla Aguilar, Miguel Oyarzun and Mike Tweddle were met with great enthusiasm to the idea of a new arts festival in Birmingham and soon fleshed out a plan on the back of a napkin at a Birmingham curry house. Each year a daring and innovative programme of boundary pushing theatre, dance, comedy, circus, music, visual and performing arts takes place turning theatre's rarely seen backstages into a den of creativity, discovery and exchange where diverse cultures are celebrated. The youth performance programme, BE NEXT engages and empowers young Birmingham based artists performing a new piece of work on the last night of each festival. BE FESTIVAL has a touring wing, previously taking "The Best of BE" around the UK and Spain.

All free to attend but booking required for some events: https://befestival.org/festival/

The Birmingham 2022 Festival unites people from around the Commonwealth through a celebration of creativity, in a six-month long programme, shining a spotlight on the West Midland's culture sector.

Running from March to beyond the conclusion of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in September, the festival aims to entertain and engage over 2.5 million people in person and online.

Delivering over 200 projects across the region including art, photography, dance, theatre, digital art and more the festival will embrace local culture and generate lasting change and a creative legacy beyond the games with funding to community led projects from Birmingham City Council's Creative City Grants scheme.

Major support has been dedicated by Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Birmingham City Council and Spirit of 2012. The Birmingham 2022 Festival is grateful for further support from British Council, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, the High Commission of Canada in the UK, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Create Central, Creative New Zealand, UK/Australia Season 2021/2022, and Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee.

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