Birmingham 2050: City-wide campaign launches call for creative visions of the future
A major new creative campaign is calling on people across Birmingham to imagine what the city could look like in 2050, and it kicks off this month with a chance for the public to start submitting ideas straight away via an easy-to-use digital platform at birmingham2050.co.uk.
Birmingham 2050 launches as a city-wide call-to-action aimed at artists, designers, musicians, poets, schools, community groups, businesses and residents. The campaign invites submissions in any creative form, from traditional artwork and models to writing, music, digital design and video. It just needs to be something that can be uploaded to the digital portal.
On 24 and 25 March, a public booth will be set up at Millennium Point where residents can drop in to share their ideas about what they want Birmingham to be like in 2050. The two-day installation is designed to capture what people across the city are thinking and hoping for, with contributions feeding into the wider campaign.
The initiative arrives at a pivotal moment for Birmingham. With major infrastructure projects underway, significant cultural momentum building and long-term development reshaping the city’s landscape, organisers say the campaign is designed to channel that energy into public imagination, particularly among young people who will inherit the city being built today.
Entries will remain open until just before schools break for summer holidays. And a curated selection of submissions will be showcased in a public exhibition and live event at Millennium Point in September, featuring music performances, a live mural artist and creative visions gathered from across the region.
Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, said:
“Birmingham has always been a city of makers and thinkers. Right now, it is also a city on the rise. Birmingham 2050 is about giving people permission to imagine what comes next and to share that openly. We want young people in particular to feel that their ideas matter and that the future of this city belongs to them as much as anyone. That is at the heart of what we do at Millennium Point.”
She added: “People need hope and direction. This campaign is about optimism, creativity and community. It’s an open invitation to help picture the Birmingham we want to build together.”
The campaign is backed by Millennium Point, with submissions open now at birmingham2050.co.uk.
