Birmingham Hippodrome partnered with The Southside Building, a new creative office space, to commission a large scale artwork by renowned Birmingham based graffiti artist Zuke that champions creativity and expressive art.
The Southside Building was refurbished by Paloma Capital to provide a range of spaces designed to appeal to the creative, media and tech industries and bring businesses and individuals together, from start-ups to established firms. Its shared passion for expression and culture was a key driver in its decision to support Birmingham Hippodrome’s B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival.
Installed on the side of Birmingham Hippodrome on Thorp Street, the mural portrays a dancer called Bee Girl, (playing on B-GIRL dancers), alongside messages of peace, love and unity, representing the diversity of Southside. The dramatic artwork is the height of four double decker buses and took a week to paint.
The mural installation is complemented by a new Southside graffiti trail created with B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival co-producers High Vis Festival and Afroflux. A self-guided trail route is available to download via a QR code on the Birmingham Hippodrome website and social media channels.
Graham Callister, Director of Festivals at Birmingham Hippodrome added: “We are thrilled to unveil our new mural and graffiti trail that celebrates Southside on such a large scale and our outdoor graffiti trail is a great way for people to safely enjoy art and culture in the city.”
This year, B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival went IN-SIDE and ran an online programme from Friday 25 – Sunday 27 September including dance battles, performances and workshops from some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Highlights from the weekend are still available to watch on the B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival Facebook page.
Photo by Simon Hadley
