Street play spreading across Birmingham

Yesterday was National Playday, and in Kings Heath we celebrated with a day of street closures to bring communities together and encourage people to play on the streets.  Goldsmith Road, Woodville Road and Albert Road all closed to cars for the day, and a range of activities were coordinated by the residents of the streets.

It was supported by Hall Green Arts Forum through music activities (provided by Musicshaker Fiona Howe), and also by our pioneering 'Kings Heath Space Explorer' project.  Parks4Play (part of Dens of Equality) provided a range of creative activities, the Library service with street stories and Birmingham City Council were instrumental in providing support to close the roads.

We sent out our young reporters to talk to some of the revellers at Goldsmith Road and Woodville Road:


An estimated 600 people in total took part - mainly residents of the streets themselves - all three streets were visited by Sarah Falkland from Midlands today and was reported live at 1:30 and 3 min clip available on Midlands at 6:30 too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b037xkkk/Midlands_Today_07_08_2013/?t=21m33s

Laura Watts from Parks for Play was also interviewed on WM Radio and ITV central.

Also some great photos of the day:


Street coordinators will meet in September with City Councillors and other partner organisations (like Hall Green Arts Forum) as the newly formed 'Kings Heath and Moseley Playing out group' and will build on success for to discuss which streets and when streets will open again for play in Birmingham.  See below a short film made for playday:

• http://birminghamlives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/playday-2013.html
• http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2013-08-07/streets-closed-for-national-play-day-initiative/

Also see fabulous film:

A story behind every statistic

We've started a quick guerilla art exhibition at Kings Heath Library for you to contribute your road statistics to, as part of Car Culture project and event on Saturday 30th March.

Kings Heath Library working with HGA are representing statistics with books in support of Car Culture.  You know the saying a story behind every statistic?  Well at Kings Heath library, we're taking that literally and representing our statistics with books.  On 30th March be prepared for more statistics represented creatively in shops and other venues along our High Street.

If there is a road statistic you want representing at Kings Heath Library, or at Car Culture event, please forward to us to add to ours, or visit Kings Heath Library and talk to staff about where and how you want to present your statistic.  Please remember the Library is not just an art gallery, and there will be people wanting to read books and things.  Also staff are friendly but as stretched as ever!  If you do add a statistic at the Library, or anywhere on KH High Street, we want to see it - please photo and send to us.

Party as library reopens

Kings Heath library re-opens. HGA supports celebrations and runs  workshop followed by exhibition of puppets from Field for the Olympics.

KH Library exhibition Opens as Library Re-Opens

Field for the Olympics moved from Hall Green Library to support the re-opening of Kings Heath, following extensive roof work which has closed the library for a month.

We ran a busy family workshop attended by all three of our councillors to open an exhibition of nearly all our puppets, taking over the children's room at Kings Heath Library.

Hall Green Arts is keen to support our local libraries and will support Staff and Friends of KH Library and all our district libraries in future events and projects.