Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery announces 2020 programme
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has revealed its 2020 line-up.
Highlights including the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and an exhibition that tells the story of one of Birmingham's oldest manufacturing companies opening in January, along with much more.
There will also be special activity days to mark International Women's Day, Armed Forces Day and more.
Take a look at the top upcoming events below:
Dressed to the Nines and Birmingham Revolutions
Until Friday, September 4
Free
These exhibitions, which launched late in 2019, explore two fascinating areas of Birmingham history.
Birmingham Revolutions looks at Birmingham’s vibrant and varied history of protest and activism, and the role the city has played in some of the most important campaigns and movements in British history.
Dressed to the Nines explores how fashion and dressing up for special occasions has changed since the 1850s, showcasing outfits and accessories from the city’s dress collection, and offering the chance for visitors to be part of the exhibitions themselves.
Webster and Horsfall: 300 years of Innovation
Thursday, January 30, to Sunday, October 4
Free
This new Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) exhibition celebrates 300 years of Birmingham firm Webster and Horsfall who were responsible for manufacturing the wire for the first successful transatlantic cable in 1866.
The free exhibition tells the story of the local family business, based in Hay Mills, which has been at the heart of steel wire and rope manufacturing in Birmingham since 1720.
The history of the company is told through Webster and Horsfall archival material and a selection of Birmingham’s collection of watercolours by Arthur Lockwood.
Lockwood was renowned for his industrial watercolours of Birmingham and the Black Country. He documented the changing city through his work and depicted vivid scenes from local factories, including that of Webster and Horsfall.
BMAG acquired more than 700 watercolours and sketches from the artist as part of the Lottery-funded Collecting Birmingham project.
This is the first time his paintings will be on display at BMAG and will be a celebration of Lockwood’s work following his death in 2019.
Objects from Birmingham’s science and industry collection, and loans from Webster and Horsfall, will delve further into Birmingham’s industrial past.
Visitors will also see examples of the transatlantic cable which revolutionised communication between the UK and the USA.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Saturday, May 23, to Sunday, September 6
Ticket details to be announced.
Stunning images will be unveiled as Wildlife Photographer of the Year arrives at BMAG from Saturday, May 23.
The world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will feature exceptional images which capture animal behaviour, a variety of species and diversity of the natural world.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights for over 50 years.
Launching in 1965 and attracting 361 entries, today the competition receives more than 48,000 entries from 100 countries, highlighting its enduring appeal.
On display in the Gas Hall at the venue, the exhibition will also be accompanied by a display of pieces from Birmingham’s collection which explore our enduring fascination with animals.
There will also be a programme of events and activities for both families and adults.
Nritya: The Story of Indian Dance in the Black Country 1960 – 2000
From Friday, October 9
Free
Nritya tells the largely unwritten and unrecorded story of Indian dance in the Black Country between 1960 and 2000 alongside its key professional development in Birmingham during this period.
The exhibition shares stories, photos, films and objects collected from some of the pioneering dancers, teachers and choreographers in the region, as well as items from the national archive of South Asian Diaspora Arts Archive, held at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
There will also be a day of activities for all the family on Saturday, October 10.
Nritya is curated by Jai Jashn Dance, an award winning non-profit voluntary organisation under the umbrella of Jaivant Patel Dance. Nritya is supported by Heritage Lottery Fund.
