City’s cultural venues reveal plans to reopen after lockdown
Birmingham’s cultural assets are starting to reawaken from lockdown, with venues revealing their plans to open their doors once again in the weeks ahead.
Ikon Gallery and Millennium Point’s Auditorium are hoping to attract August visitors while Birmingham Heritage Week has launched its schedule for September.
The 11-day festival is organised by Birmingham Museums Trust and is mixing in-person and online events for the sixth edition of the annual celebration.
Birmingham Heritage Week includes walking tours, outdoor performances and special events
Birmingham Heritage Week co-ordinator Irene De Boo hopes to capitalise on people spending more time exploring their local area and attractions.
She said: “We may not be able to bring people together in exactly the same way but we have a brilliant programme of events that can be enjoyed safely online or in-person, so we’d encourage everyone to make the most of this year’s festival, while we’re all spending more time based locally.
“We’re sure everyone will enjoy discovering something new about this city’s rich heritage this September.”
Brindleyplace gallery Ikon is to reopen on August 20, with spring season exhibitions by John Newling and Judy Watson staying in place for a little longer for audiences to see them in person. Visitors must book online in advance.
Ikon director Jonathan Watkins said: “We are very happy to be back at Ikon, welcoming visitors in the same friendly spirit – but now with the added frisson of face masks, sanitisers and social distancing.
“We look forward very much to sharing new adventures in new ways, as it should be with contemporary art.”
Screenings at Millennium Point’s Auditorium, home to the IMAX screen, will take place on the August bank holiday weekend after a successful event last month.
It has almost halved its capacity, to 181, with allocated seating. One of the films is The Shawshank Redemption, about a convict who introduced cultural activities to his fellow inmates before eventually escaping from a prison sentence that he considered to be unjust.
