Trying to foster pride in Birmingham

Despite the success of the Everything to Everybody exhibition, ‘We Make Brum,’ that celebrates the city in all its diversity, it was incredibly hard to foster that feeling of pride and celebration when curating the exhibition. 

Throughout all the sessions with students at George Dixon, at times, it felt like drawing water from a stone when asking what they like or enjoy about Birmingham. Particularly at the beginning, whenever the question was asked, you could only hear the ticking of the clock and the students' brains going into overdrive. The project felt nearly impossible. Thankfully, we did manage to get there as evidenced by the exhibition, but it was no easy feat.

But why? Why was there such a negative attitude towards Birmingham? To the extent that some of the students felt they were being disingenuous to their true feelings when participating in the project? 

Nationally, the depiction of Birmingham is a sum negative one, it’s easy to make fun of it online, cuss the accent of those living here, but somehow many still find their way here for university and a night out… Interesting.

I think the main reason why there is such a bad perception of Birmingham is because of Britain's societal attitudes. Birmingham was the heartland for the industrial revolution in Britain. It was known for its factories, pollution and jobs for the working class, and this image is still with Birmingham. Classism is a very British disease, it was not long ago that people took elocution lessons for a chance at a job and assimilation. The working class industrial image that Birmingham has is what many find distasteful about the region.

The factories in Birmingham meant opportunity for work, which also created a strong flow of global immigration. Another thing that Birmingham is known for is its ethnic diversity, George Dixon Academy was testimony of this, from its students to its teachers. Even though a point of celebration in the exhibition was highlighting the ethnic and national diversity, it would be naive to not believe that this is not also a reason why people scorn Birmingham. Just because people are not overtly racist, does not mean that we are oblivious to the racist biases people hold, even if they are to their own.

However, if this is how people outside of Birmingham view the city, why do our youth within the city also feel the same? First of all, people do not live in a vacuum. It is always easier to laugh along with those mocking you, than to rebuke their mocks. Secondly, and most importantly, the youth do not know their city. 

Working with the students at George Dixon, many of them did not know about the culture and heritage spaces within Birmingham. A lot were not even able to leave the wards they live in. When holding the lunar campfire in the city library, some professed it was their first time in ten years visiting the library. Many do not know the brilliance that is the Midlands Arts Centre. Guardians are responsible to show the city to their children, but many are just as ignorant. Not only that, it is also a matter if the guardian has the liberty of time and money to invest in their children and the city. Students and children don’t even have the freedom to explore the city themselves when reviewing public transport and the price of it. We are also waging a war against the online sphere, which predominates in priority for our youths. Many live offline to post online. Not to mention being online is also free, or at least a one time investment. 

A whole report could be written about attitudes towards Birmingham and why it is such a stubborn perception to break. But in the midst of a bankrupt Birmingham city council, it will be an arduous uphill battle in raising the morale of those living in Birmingham about their own city.