Culture of Birmingham facts for kids
The culture of Birmingham is special. It's known for people being independent and trying new things. Many experts have noticed how creative and different Birmingham's culture is.
For example, in 1969, an urban expert named Jane Jacobs called Birmingham a "great, confused laboratory of ideas." She saw how its mix of different things helped it grow by always adding new ideas. Another historian, G. M. Young, said Birmingham was "experimental, adventurous, diverse." This was different from other cities like Manchester. An economist, Edward Gleason, even said in 2011 that Birmingham gave us the Industrial Revolution. He meant that exploring Birmingham is like studying human progress!
This unique culture comes from Birmingham's history. By the 1600s, the area was known for not having strong control from the rich families or the main church. This made it a safe place for people who thought differently. These included religious groups, free-thinking scientists and writers, business owners, and political rebels.
Later, in the 1700s, this led to the Midlands Enlightenment. Birmingham became a key place for writing, music, theatre, and art. It became a very open and accepting society. People were friendly, didn't judge others, and were great at taking in new ideas.
The city's economy also helped. Birmingham was known as the "city of a thousand trades." It had many skilled workers in small workshops. They made all sorts of products and worked together in changing groups. This created a culture that valued new ideas, being flexible, and change. People learned to cooperate and trust each other. This also meant they didn't like showing off. Birmingham has always been good at "accommodating difference." As early as 1782, historian William Hutton was amazed by the "agreement in such variety." Even in 2008, a philosopher named Sadie Plant described Birmingham's unique mix of independence and teamwork.
Because of this, Birmingham's culture often stands out from the main English culture, which is often focused on London. The Independent newspaper said in 2012 that Birmingham feels "different." The poet Roy Fisher called it an "off-shore island in the middle of England."
However, being so unique can also make Birmingham hard to understand from the outside. The city's identity is about being different and not always fitting together perfectly. Writers, artists, and musicians in Birmingham often work closely but create very different styles of art. This has been true from the Lunar Society in the 1750s to the B-Town music scene today. Birmingham's way of moving forward by trying new things has also meant it sometimes tries to forget its past. This makes Birmingham a hard city to define. It doesn't have a simple image, and its own funny, humble sense of humor often leads to it being seen as "a non-place surrounded by motorways."
Contents
Music
Birmingham has a rich history of music, from classical to popular styles.
Classical Music
The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival was a very important music event from 1784 to 1912. It was the biggest of its kind in Britain. Famous composers like Mendelssohn and Elgar wrote music especially for this festival. Elgar wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham.
Albert William Ketèlbey, a well-known composer, was born in Birmingham in 1875. He even won a music scholarship over Gustav Holst!
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is famous worldwide. Their home is Symphony Hall, which is considered one of the best concert halls for sound in the 20th century. Many other orchestras also perform there.
Other professional orchestras in Birmingham include the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, which plays modern music, and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, which plays for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Ex Cathedra is one of the oldest groups specializing in early music.
Birmingham is also a big center for music education. It's home to the UCE Birmingham Conservatoire, founded in 1859.
The Birmingham Royal Ballet is based in the city, as is the Elmhurst School for Dance. This school claims to be the oldest dance school for professional training in the world.
Birmingham's own opera company, the Birmingham Opera Company, puts on creative shows in unusual places. For example, they once performed an opera in a burnt-out ice rink!
Other places to enjoy classical music in Birmingham include The National Indoor Arena (NIA), CBSO Centre, and Birmingham Town Hall.
Jazz
Jazz has been popular in Birmingham since the 1920s. The city hosts several jazz festivals, like the Mostly Jazz Festival and the International Jazz Festival. Groups like Jazzlines and Blam! also put on regular jazz shows.
Many jazz musicians are linked to Birmingham, including Andy Hamilton and Soweto Kinch. Jazzlines, based at Symphony Hall, promotes many concerts each year. They feature local, national, and international artists. They also help new music be created.
Popular Music
In the 1960s, Birmingham had a music scene as exciting as Liverpool's. Bands like The Move, The Spencer Davis Group, The Moody Blues, Traffic, and the Electric Light Orchestra became famous.
Birmingham is also the birthplace of heavy metal music. Bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and half of Led Zeppelin came from here in the late 1960s and 1970s. Later, Napalm Death and Godflesh also came from the city.
The city was also where modern bhangra music started in the 1960s. By the 1980s, Birmingham was the world center for bhangra.
The 1970s saw the rise of reggae and ska bands like Steel Pulse, UB40, and Musical Youth. These bands often sang about racial unity and had members from different backgrounds, reflecting Birmingham's society.
Other popular bands from Birmingham include Duran Duran, Ocean Colour Scene, The Streets, and Dexys Midnight Runners. Many famous musicians grew up here, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Jeff Lynne, and Jamelia.
Since 2012, the Digbeth area has become known for its indie music scene, called B-Town. Bands like Peace and Swim Deep have gained attention. The Independent newspaper even said Birmingham is becoming the best place in the UK for exciting new music.
Birmingham has many music venues, including the National Indoor Arena, O2 Academy, and HMV Institute.
Literature
The writing tradition in Birmingham began with religious writings in the 1500s and 1600s. Because Birmingham was away from the main centers of power and had a strong business economy, it became a safe place for people with new ideas. This helped a lively culture of writing, printing, and publishing to grow.
In the 1700s, Birmingham's radical ideas spread to other types of writing. Writers of the Midlands Enlightenment brought new thoughts to poetry, philosophy, history, and even children's books. By the Victorian era, Birmingham was a large industrial city. This was shown in its novels, which often featured the city.
Birmingham's writers have had a global impact. John Rogers created the first full authorized English Bible. Samuel Johnson wrote the first English Dictionary. J. R. R. Tolkien is a huge name in fantasy fiction and one of the best-selling authors ever. W. H. Auden's poetry is considered some of the best written in English in the last century. Today, famous writers from Birmingham include David Lodge and Benjamin Zephaniah.
The city also has a history of special writing groups. These include the Puritan writers who started the first Birmingham Library in the 1640s. Later came the philosophers and poets of the Lunar Society in the 1700s. In the 1930s, there were politically active writers like the Highfield group. This tradition continues today with writers from the University of Birmingham and the city's growing crime fiction, science fiction, and poetry scenes.
Theatre
Birmingham has a lively theatre scene.
Famous Stage Names
Kenneth Peacock Tynan and David Edgar are two of Birmingham's most famous theatre figures. The Birmingham School of Acting trains actors in the city.
Theatres
There are many theatres in Birmingham. The four largest professional theatres are the Alexandra Theatre ("the Alex"), Birmingham Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), the Birmingham Hippodrome, and the Old Rep. Other places like the mac and Drum arts centers also host many professional plays.
Birmingham also has many independent and community theatre groups. For example, Banner Theatre was founded here over thirty years ago. The city's Fierce! festival has been presenting performance art for ten years, often showing new works from artists around the world.
Comedy
Many famous comedians come from Birmingham, including Sid Field, Tony Hancock, Jasper Carrott, and Shazia Mirza.
The Glee Club and Birmingham Jongleurs are popular comedy venues. The Drum Arts Centre and the mac also host regular comedy shows.
The Birmingham Comedy Festival started in 2001. It runs for 10 days in October and features top TV comedians alongside new talent from Birmingham. Past performers include Frankie Boyle, Jimmy Carr, and Peter Kay. The festival is open to all kinds of comedy, including stand-up, theatre, and film.
Visual Arts
Birmingham has a strong tradition in visual arts, from painting to photography and design.
Fine Art
David Cox was a famous Birmingham watercolor artist in the early 1800s.
An "Academy of Arts" was set up in 1814, and a School of Design started in 1821. These helped develop art in the city.
Edward Burne-Jones, a famous artist, was born in Birmingham and lived there for his first twenty years. He later became president of the Birmingham Society of Artists. He greatly influenced the Birmingham Group, which connected late Romantic art with the Birmingham Surrealists in the 20th century.
The Scottish painter William Gear lived in Birmingham from 1964 until his death. He was a key member of the COBRA art movement.
Photography
Victorian photographer Sir Benjamin Stone lived and worked in Erdington, Birmingham. The Birmingham Central Library holds a large collection of his work.
The "father of art photography," Oscar Gustave Rejlander, also worked near Birmingham.
Famous photographer Bill Brandt took many pictures in Birmingham between 1939 and 1943 for the Bournville Village Trust. These photos show life in the city during that time.
In the late 1970s, photographers Derek Bishton, John Reardon, and Brian Homer created the 'Handsworth Self Portrait' series, showing people on the streets of Handsworth. Other notable photographers include Pogus Caesar and Vanley Burke, who documented British West Indian and African communities.
Design and Typography
John Baskerville (1706–1775) was a famous type designer from Birmingham. He created the Baskerville font, which is still used widely today.
The Birmingham Guild and School of Handicrafts produced beautiful books in the style of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The Kynoch Press also helped develop British typography.
Robert Dudley Best designed the "Bestlite" adjustable table lamp in 1930, which is still made today.
Contemporary Artists
Graffiti art became popular in Birmingham in the early 1980s. Artists like Chu and Goldie have used the city as their canvas. Graffiti competitions are still held at the Custard Factory.
The city center also has modern public art. For example, the Bull Ring Shopping Centre has light wands, a huge mural, and cube-shaped fountains that light up at night.
Contemporary African-Caribbean artists and photographers like Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper, and the late Donald Rodney have shown their work internationally.
Galleries
- The Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham was named 'Gallery of the Year' in 2004.
- The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. It also shows modern art, including local artists.
- The Ikon Gallery in Brindleyplace shows modern art.
- The Halcyon Gallery is inside the International Convention Centre. It has featured works by artists like Rolf Harris and L. S. Lowry.
- The old Bird's Custard Factory is now a large arts village with exhibitions and modern sculptures.
- OOM Gallery works on multimedia art projects.
- The mac hosts theatre, concerts, literature, films, and small art exhibitions.
- The Drum Arts Centre shows works by African, Asian, and Caribbean artists.
- Selly Oak ball park is known for its many graffiti murals that change regularly.
There are also many other smaller galleries in the city.
Cinema
Birmingham has been the filming location for parts or all of several movies:
- Privilege (1967)
- A Private Enterprise (1974)
- Take Me High (1974)
- The Firm (1989)
- I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990)
- Bhaji on the Beach (1993)
- Felicia's Journey (1999)
- Don't Stop Dreaming (2007)
- Clubbed (2008)
- 1 Day (2009)
- Tormented (2009)
- Land Gold Women (2011)
- Turbulence (2011)
- Tezz (2012)
Major Arts Events
From 1997, Birmingham hosted an annual arts festival called ArtsFest in September. It was the largest free arts festival in the UK, where families could enjoy many of the city's arts for free. Although the city council stopped organizing it in 2006, it continued with support from other groups.
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