We are honored that our film 'Rolling at The Tower' will be screened at Neighbourhood Cotch Club, a cosy space for intimate film screenings based on a barge on the Birmingham canal, hosted by Civic Square. 

This documentary uncovers the stories of Victorian roller-skaters, who campaigned for a rink to be opened, Pat Kirkham, a roller-skating legend who broke 4 world records during her career, and Birmingham’s skaters today, who are creating a community in spite of civic opposition.

Dating back to the 1800s, Birmingham’s roller skating scene is a flourishing, diverse community - but it lacks dedicated spaces. This community documentary explores the history of one roller venue, The Tower Ballroom, and considers what it tells us about the power of community action.

For nearly 150 years, the Tower Ballroom was a hub for the community, providing an intergenerational and multicultural space. It was closed in 2017, and tragically demolished in 2022 despite campaigns to save it. The local community have contributed to the documentary by sharing their stories, memories, photographs and films of the Tower.

Directed by Yonatan Tiruneh & John Hill-Daniel

We are so proud to share that our short film 'Rolling Out Brum' will be screened by Flatpack Festival in partnership with University of Birmingham as part of their Words and Pictures: An Evening of Birmingham Creativity event at the Royal Geographic Society conference!

Rolling Out Brum, directed by Yonatan Tiruneh and starring Empress Gibbs, is a celebration of Birmingham's roller skating community.

More info about Rolling Out Brum

Explore Birmingham's Art Deco architecture with a guided walk around the city centre hosted by Christiane Worth. 

This year marks the centenary of the "Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes" which gave the Art Deco movement its name, with many events being held worldwide to commemorate the anniversary. While Birmingham is not known for its Art Deco architecture, there are many buildings which have been influenced by the movement and can be identified by their clean, geometric features. Whether you are an Art Deco enthusiast or want to discover the movement, this walk will be an amazing way to explore Birmingham's eclectic architecture and hidden gems.

As part of Birmingham Heritage Week, join us for a screening of our community documentary Rolling at the Tower followed by a Q&A with the documentary's stars and producers as we honour the legacy of the iconic Tower Ballroom.

Before it was demolished, the Tower Ballroom was a space where people of all backgrounds could come together and share their love of roller skating, a community spirit which continues in Birmingham’s roller skating community today. This documentary highlights a significant aspect of Birmingham’s heritage and keeps the memories of the Tower alive, with dreams of where the roller skating community will go next. 

This screening is hosted in partnership with Culture Forward at the University of Birmingham. 

As part of our Discovering Lisel Haas project, we invite you to come and explore the archive of her works at the Library of Birmingham for Birmingham Heritage Week. 

Lisel Haas was a German-Jewish photographer who made Birmingham her home in 1938 after escaping Nazi persecution. She photographed at the Birmingham Rep and many other theaters across the West Midlands before opening her home studio in 12 Grove Avenue, Moseley. This event will be lead by the project's researchers as they give an introduction to Lisel Haas' life and works through the archival material they have uncovered from the Library of Birmingham. There will be a panel discussion where the researchers discuss their process and findings, with opportunity for the audience to discuss where they would like to see the project develop in future research.

This event is supported by the John Feeney Charitable Trust.