HANDSWORTH PARK ARTS TRAIL

On Friday 6th October 2017, 3-4pm the Handsworth Park Arts Trail will be formally opened.

There will be a reception at The Boat House Cafe (by the Boating Lake), and a chance to meet the artists Luke Perry and Pauline Bailey who were commissioned to produce two new pieces in 2017. The nearest pedestrian entrance is on Hamstead Road and car parking is available at the Holly Road Entrance. Light refreshments will be available.

Handsworth Park Arts Trail is an exhibition of public art in the natural setting of one of Birmingham’s most beautiful parks. Each year two pieces of public art are being commissioned over a three-year period. The Arts Trail is hosted by the community arts organisation Handsworth Creative in association with Birmingham City Council, Friends of Handsworth Park and Perry Barr Arts Forum and is curated by local residents Pauline Bailey and Jan Kimber.

The two new pieces were produced in 2017 by Luke Perry and Pauline Bailey following community based arts workshops. Luke’s piece is entitled ‘SS Journey’ and Pauline’s is entitled ‘Veranda Stories’ and both follow the 2017 theme of ‘Journeys’. Handsworth Creative is grateful for the support of The Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council, which has made the Arts Trail possible.

Handsworth Park Arts Trail will be officially opened by Vanley Burke. Often described as the ‘Godfather of Black British Photography’, his iconic images have captured the evolving cultural landscape, social change and stimulated debate in the United Kingdom over the past four decades. As a Birmingham based artist, Vanley has exhibited his work in galleries locally and internationally over many years since moving here from Jamaica as a teenager in 1965.

The Arts Trail builds on the successful temporary Arts Trail around the Boating Lake in 2015.

In addition to the newly commissioned pieces, the Arts Trail also includes other pieces of public art already in the park, one dating back to the 19^th Century and enables visitors to explore a wide range of artistic forms across the whole of the park.

PLEASE RSVP SO THAT WE CAN ESTIMATE THE NUMBERS FOR CATERING PURPOSES BY TUESDAY 3^RD OCTOBER 2017 via Handsworth.Park.Arts.Trail@hotmail.com

If you can’t join us for the opening, please do visit the Arts Trail at any other time!

There will be activities organised over the next two years and a wide range of opportunities for local people of all ages to get involved in arts activities. To find out more, follow us on Twitter @h_parkartstrail and Facebook www.facebook.com/Handsworth.Park.Arts.Trail.

Handsworth Creative will also be launching a new website soon with lots of information about Handsworth Park Arts Trail and other projects locally.

We welcome comments and feedback about the Arts Trail and suggestions for themes for the Arts Trail in 2018 and 2019 via Handsworth.Park.Arts.Trail@hotmail.com

We look forward to seeing you in the park!

Pauline Bailey and Jan Kimber

Map: Hunt Emerson