More photos from Calthorpe

A brief slideshow of photos taken by John Hill-Daniel and the junior paparazi team for 'Field for the Olympics' at Calthorpe Park on 30th June for the Torch relay event.

Olympic Field Grows

The Olympic Field is getting bigger, as we run more workshops with Kings Heath Library services for extended under 5s storytime, and Paganel Primary School.  At Paganel the junk puppets are only half way made - they have already been used to explore Olympic values, play in the playground, and will grow arms, clothing, and a bit of colour before take part in a parade as part of 'Pagalympics' later this week joining other Olympian puppets at Calthorpe Park to see the Torch relay (then a brief tour around local libraries and community centres, of course).  Look out for a puppet near you.

Loads of torch relay events next weekend

Also try birminghamourgames.co.uk 

Field for the Olympics more workshops

In the build up to the Olympics we are fortunate to have the Olympic Torch relay passing through our constituency. In celebration of the Cultural Olympiad and the Torch Relay Hall Green Arts Forum (led by KHCCP) is coordinating activities with our arts Champion, the Drum, and partner organisations Parks4Play, Birmigham Playcare Network, Friends of Cannonhill Park, Calthorpe Park Children and Parents Advisory Committee, Northern Soul Arts, and the Libraries & Community Centres in our area.  

'Field for the Olympics' is making Olympic Junk puppets with a range of very different groups across our district, using the puppets in a range of storytelling, poetry and drama activities. The workshops are part of events in local parks for the torch relay, as well as in schools, community centres libraries, and care homes, all to celebrate the Olympics. The number of puppets is growing until we will have a truly impressive 'Field for the Olympics'.

So far we have run 5 workshops in a community garden, in a community centre and in a care home, with participants ranging from 1 to 100 years old.  Before the 1st July we will have run many more workshops across our constituency to bring together a staggering collection of puppets to display in venues across our constituency for the launch of the Olympics.  If you are interested in hosting the Field for the Olympics, please get in touch.  Links to workshops:

Adventures of Bob the Biker Pirate, and other puppets

Olympic Football

Garden Olympics

Christine the Olympic Swimmer

Beijing to Brum to Brazil (via London)

It's been tough, working to tight deadline with little money, an ever growing partnership of people, on an unprecedented rolling event, but it finally feels like we're nearly there. 


The torch relay is coming to Birmingham, and spending almost exactly 36 hours in Hall Green Constituency.  For HGA, it's also been a rollercoaster journey to support several partnerships to put on two huge events, half a dozen smaller ones, a range of workshops as part of 'Fields for the Olympics' which will see puppets made in care homes, community centres, libraries, schools and parks across our constituency and a little further.

Not long to go now

But not too late to be a part of it:

First Surgery at Ort

Ort Cafe is a great venue opposite Balsall Heath Library, ideal for our first surgery.  We had a decent turnout, and was commented the 'Surgery' type approach relaxed and made meetings more approachable and inviting to new people.  The Cafe was set up by artists, and not surprisingly is great for meeting artists, but as one attendee commented:


'I liked the Ort venue meeting, and the relaxed table mix, but not sure we're reaching the school and neighbourhood communities yet'

This one, I think is a bit of a priority, so first off, the surgeries will be at a range of different settings.  I'm also hoping the people from that venue will help us attract a range of people they already know from their communities.  So the next one will be Kitchen Garden Cafe (early July, date to be confirmed) and I'm looking into having a picnic on Cannon Hill Park and meeting in a school or two - Robin Hood Primary and Kings Heath Primary are more obvious choices, as we already know people there.

We are looking for more venues for this year, but the only (and most effective) way to do this is to find people with a venue willing to help organise surgeries.  Please contact me if you think you can help.

I'll be placing some of the comments on our facebook page to encourage people to write responses, to develop conversations.  Last, but not least, we need actions, art stuff to come from the surgeries. Only one surgery so far so early days, but from the conversations I was a part of, it's clear we are already bringing people together who are setting up workshops, events, other things.

• Notes from meeting
• Map updated
• Field for the Olympics