Making their way through the streets of Lozells, lead artist Bunny Bread and fellow artists Jason Caballero and Simone Linton have been working with the local community to co-design a trail of murals that will be launched this October.
CREATENOTDESTROY is an internationally-respected art collective, known for their street art and murals. Working in and around Lozells, Mr Bunny Bread has been creating art pieces which reflect the activism and empowerment of the ecosystem that lives within the community.
THE DOWNLOW is a commissioned project as part of the GALLERY37 programme which will see up to ten walls illustrated with untold stories, quotes and thought-provoking activism. With insight from organisations including The Active Wellbeing Society (on behalf of The Active Communities Programme) and Aspire and Succeed, THE DOWNLOW has tried to capture the essence of the Lozells community by connecting with local residents, schools and businesses. THE DOWNLOW aims to encourage people to rediscover and reanimate Lozells after LOCKDOWN through self-guided explorations and artist-led trails of a place they already call home.
A QR code found on each mural will animate the trail and lead visitors on to other works – when you find one wall, it will show you where to discover the next!
THE DOWNLOW will be launched at Georges Park (Wills St, Lozells, Birmingham B19 1PT) at 1pm on Saturday 23rd October 2021.
I’m struck by the amazing work from Bunny and his creative team – uniting the diverse communities of Lozells and using arts as a vehicle for change. I urge you all to visit this amazing ensemble of work right here in the north Brum
Councillor Waseem Zaffar – Cabinet member for Transport and The Environment, BCC
FURTHER INFORMATION
- PUNCH is the UK’s leading creative development agency for young artists outside the mainstream. Producing major tours plus their own BASS festival each year, they work with artists as diverse as KRS ONE, JULIAN MARLEY, LADY LESHURR, FUSE ODG and VANLEY BURKE. Through partnerships in Morocco, Jamaica, Taiwan, Suriname and Senegal, PUNCH reached an in-venue audience of 50k over the last eighteen months. Three thousand hours of PUNCH-commissioned content was viewed online via platforms including the UK’s GRM DAILY, Africa’s TFM and a network of community radio stations.
- GALLERY 37 developed from creative arts training that was pioneered in Birmingham’s sister city of Chicago. Arriving in Birmingham in 2002, G37 quickly established an identity, style and reputation of its own. After a 5 year hiatus, GALLERY 37 returned to Birmingham in 2016 and again in 2018, in a new contemporary format. Now curated and produced by PUNCH and supported by a range of local partners and stakeholders, GALLERY 37 provides hundreds of hours of professional training and performance opportunities for upwards of sixty young artists each year.
- CREATENOTDESTROY is an art collective who are based in London and the West Midlands. They specialise in photography, videography, mural art and design and have travelled extensively to take on new and exciting projects. Having worked with companies such as Universal, Sky1, Adidas, BBC, MTV, Nike and ITV; CND have a lot of experience under their belt. It is led by an artist called Bunny Bread who has worked in the industry since 1997.
- THE ACTIVE COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME is delivered by The Active Wellbeing Society and commissioned partners of Sport Birmingham, Think Active as well as other key partners on delivering the AC funded programme into the communities on behalf of Birmingham City Council and Solihull MBC, through the funds provided by the Lottery through Sport England. The Active Communities programme aims to create innovative solutions to make it easier for people to access social and physical activity. By demonstrating a significant shift in physical activity and community activism, so that people become more physically and socially active. The Active Communities programme has part funded THE DOWNLOW which is a commissioned project that is part of the Gallery37 programme.
The Active Wellbeing Society is a community benefit society and cooperative, working with communities to tackle inequality and promote community development. We deliver a wide range of free activities and services aimed at improving physical health, wellbeing and offering support, by working collaboratively with communities, partners, and local groups.