Press releases

September, not normally known for heatwaves, is set to be a scorcher this year as Marketing
Birmingham launches its new campaign “Feel The Heat” to promote the city’s artists,
performances, activities and venues.

Marketing Birmingham Chief Executive, Neil Rami said: “The time is right for Birmingham to
re-assert its cultural credentials. The city has the breadth, scale and quality of arts events to
inspire residents and visitors alike, who can enjoy the arts offer all year round.”

“We’re going to put Birmingham’s cultural gems in the spotlight, just as we’re doing with our
food, fashion and sport campaigns. With the support of the city’s arts organisations we’ll
make the media, visitors and tourists sit up and take notice of who’s here, what’s here and
why Birmingham is the hottest ticket for arts and culture.”

Marketing Birmingham’s three year campaign will raise the profile of Birmingham within the
region, UK and internationally as an exciting and vibrant arts hub, reflecting the city’s young
and cosmopolitan make-up.

Central to ‘Feel The Heat’ is a new website www.visitbirmingham.com/arts where people can
go to find out what’s on in the city. For residents needing inspiration, visitors looking for the
insider’s guide for the best events to go to and the media seeking events to review, the site
will be the definitive guide on Birmingham’s arts scene. The site launches in September with
a venue directory feature and will continue to be developed with additional features, like
celebrity blogs, offers and competitions over the coming months.

With visuals created by Birmingham agency McCann Erickson “Feel The Heat” features
thermal imaging photography. Single shots of a guitarist, ballerina, people in an art gallery, a
conductor and an actor will be used in regional and national advertising. From a 96 sheet
poster on the M6 to ads in The Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail and travel and tourism
magazines Birmingham wants the UK to know that it has cultural credibility.

From music and visual arts, theatre and dance, poetry and comedy to some of the best
festivals in Europe, Birmingham’s reputation is growing as a city overflowing with artistic
diversity and talent. Birmingham’s cultural resurgence is thanks to world class venues, award
winning performers, innovative risk-taking artists and being the longstanding home to
companies like the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Neil Rami concludes: “Utilising a city’s cultural offer to promote it as an attractive destination
isn’t a new concept, but culture is one of the biggest drivers to city visits and one that pays
significant social and economic dividends. We will work with the city’s arts organisations and
venues to encourage visitors to stay longer and experience more that Birmingham has to
offer, attracting newer, bigger and more diverse audiences from both inside and outside the
region.”

Ends

For further information and visuals, please contact Tracey Saunders, Head of PR & Corporate
Affairs, Marketing Birmingham on 0121 202 5002, or email us.

Did you know?

• Birmingham has more than five thousand works of art in one square mile.
• 12,000 people have learnt to dance at classes at DanceXchange.
• Six million grains of rice were used by Birmingham based theatre company Stan’s Café in their All The People in The World installation.
• Birmingham born micro-miniaturist Willard Wigan sold a collection of his works recently for £11 million.
• There are 16,000 coins in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts collection.
• The Birmingham Institute of Art & Design is one of nine universities in the country to offer a degree course in animation.
• The Electric in Station Street is the UK’s oldest working cinema.
• Birmingham Hippodrome is the busiest theatre outside of London’s West End, welcoming audiences averaging almost 500,000 per year.
• The first interactive trans-Atlantic play was created by pupils from St Alban's School in Birmingham and Kelly High School in Chicago using video conferencing. The drama, Navy Pier, was premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on July 6th.
• There are over 47,000 seats available for people to watch performances in the city everyday, that’s an incredible 17 million seats a year.
• From the World Cup to opera from Covent Garden, the BBC Big Screen in Chamberlain Square also showed 300 films in 2006.
• The Drum in Aston is Europe's first arts centre dedicated to developing and promoting African, Caribbean and Asian arts and culture.
• Birmingham Conservatoire’s music library houses 95,000 individual scores and 10,000 sound recordings.
• Since it was founded, mac has introduced over 10 million people to the arts, and is now used by over 10% of Birmingham’s population each year. It will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2012.
• Live music venue The Jamhouse, in the Jewellery Quarter, opened in 1999 with support from pianist and TV presenter Jools Holland.
• The world’s largest collection of rock album covers can be found at St Paul’s Gallery in the Jewellery Quarter, who are celebrating the 40th anniversary of psycadelia in September.

Hot Tickets

From a bursting Autumn schedule, here’s some idea of what’s on in Birmingham over the
next few months.

• 1st September – 6th October Karl Ferris Experience, St Paul’s Gallery.
• 14th – 22nd September Rough Crossings, The Rep.
• 28th September Chanta La Mui flamenco, DanceXchange.
• 5th – 14th October Birmingham Comedy Festival various locations.
• 11th October Guillemots and CBSO The Town Hall.
• 24th – 28th October Black International Film Festival various locations .
• 1st – 3rd November Gigbeth music festival various locations.
• 19th – 20th Frank Skinner NIA.
• 30th November – 13th December The Nutcracker BRB Birmingham Hippodrome.

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