Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery reopening brings to life the city's personality in the first phase of new displays across nearly one dozen reimagined spaces.

• ‘Made in Birmingham’ display explores some of the people, places and things which make the city what it is.
• New and familiar artworks displayed with a focus better reflecting the city’s personality and future.
• Tearoom and Museum Shop reopens to visitors.
• Museum reopening from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am until 5pm.
• Victorian Radicals exhibition extended until 5 January 2025.

An exciting new display exploring the characteristics of Birmingham and what it means to be shaped by this city is at the heart of the of the latest phase of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s highly anticipated reopening on Thursday, 24 October.

‘Made in Birmingham’ is a new display in the Industrial Gallery – one of several spaces to reopen to the public after essential maintenance work to the heating, electrics, lifts and roofing was completed on schedule across the whole Council House complex.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a passing visitor, everyone has an opinion on the city and ‘Made in Birmingham’ looks beyond the stereotypes to examine the real Birmingham – sometimes wonderful, sometimes frustrating, and with a tendency to knock everything down and start again.

Made in Birmingham opens with items such as the giant logo from the now-demolished HP Sauce factory, a sign from the Eagle & Tun pub (made famous in UB40’s Red Red Wine video), vintage advertising signage from Bird’s Custard and a large model showing an abandoned vision of what Centenary Square might have been, among dozens of other quirky items that tell the story of a city that 'will be nice when it’s finished'.

Showcasing Birmingham’s art collection for almost 150 years, the impressive Round Room gallery has reopened with ‘One Fresh Take’, a new display about how art can be a way to see the world differently. Visitors can discover how artists from David Cox to Lubaina Himid, Bridget Riley to Cold War Steve, have brought their own fresh take to places that are meaningful to them.

Familiar Round Room favourites – Jacob Epstein’s bronze ‘Lucifer’ and the much-loved painting of penguins ‘Dominicans in Feathers’ by Henry Stacy Marks – are also back on display.

A new display called ‘Wild City’ includes two new galleries dedicated to children and families, telling stories about nature in the city. Wild City looks at wildlife and the natural environment in the past, present and future and Birmingham’s historic links to animals.

Key objects include the famous portrait of the Official Rat Catcher to the City of Birmingham by Arthur Charles Shorthouse (1870-1953), children’s artworks on the walls and a small soft play and coffee area.

Additional reopening exhibitions at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery include ‘Curtis Holder: Drawing Carlos Acosta’ and ‘Modern Muse’ by Arpita Shah.

Curtis Holder won Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2020 and was commissioned to draw Carlos Acosta, director of Birmingham Royal Ballet. This display brings together portraits Holder made during the competition and his working sketches, showing his journey towards the final portrait and telling the story in his own words. Holder was inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite art in Birmingham’s collection, and six of the Briar Rose series by Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) are also on show. This is the first display in the new Contemporary Voices gallery, where artists, makers and communities respond to Birmingham’s collection and to people and events that resonate in our city.

In the Bridge Gallery, ‘Modern Muse’ is a series of photographic portraits by Arpita Shah celebrating the identities and experiences of young South Asian women from Birmingham and the West Midlands. This series was commissioned by GRAIN Projects.

‘Deviance & Difference’ (24 October-8 December) is an exhibition opening on the balcony gallery space that wraps around the Made in Birmingham Display, curated by internationally acclaimed artist Osman Yousefzada. It features artworks by graduates tutored by Yousefzada from Birmingham City University’s School of Art, along with pieces from Birmingham’s art collection, including works by Francis Bacon, Donald Rodney, Barbara Hepworth and Hew Locke.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery reopens with the welcome addition of the Pixel Studio – a new digital gallery and activity space. The Pixel Studio will host screenings of digital work and immersive experiences created by artists and producers from across the region, as well as showcasing collaborations using the collections as an inspiration. Two films are on display in the Pixel Studio: ‘The Tiny Spark’ and ‘Excerpt’. These are repeated throughout the day.

Directed by Pogus Caesar,The Tiny Spark reimagines the 1985 Handsworth Riots and takes the viewer on a journey that bears witness to those fateful days on the streets of innercity Birmingham. The film features the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah.

Excerpt, 2020 by Mixed Milk. is the work of Martin McNally, a filmmaker, animator and artist based in Birmingham. This artwork crops selected details from museum objects in Birmingham’s collection, re-sequencing and binding them by their similarities, exposing hidden narratives while shining a light on intimacy and connection.

The popular Tearoom has also reopened for refreshments in a beautiful setting, while unique gift collections and collaborations with local artists and makers can be found in the new-look Museum Shop.

The world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, takes place in Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s Waterhall (until 20 April 2025) featuring exceptional images that capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.

Due to visitor demand, the Victorian Radicals exhibition of world-famous Pre-Raphaelite art
will continue in The Gas Hall until 5 January 2025.

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, Co-CEOs at Birmingham Museums Trust, said:

“This reopening is a big first step in the development of a new museum for the people of Birmingham. The new displays are a celebration of our vibrant city and its rich history.

“It brings us great joy to be able to welcome visitors back into these spaces and we hope
people will share in that joy and see themselves reflected in the displays.”

Major capital works to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery were made possible thanks to funding from the Government’s Museums Estate and Development Fund (MEND) through Arts Council England. We are hugely grateful to our funders FCC Communities Foundation, DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund and Friends of Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery for their generous support towards the reopening of the galleries in this phase of the redevelopment.

Birmingham Museums Trust is able to share the city’s diverse collections, stories and spaces with the people of Birmingham and beyond thanks to regular funding from Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England as well as the kind support of many individuals, companies and charitable trusts.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Visitors won’t need to book a ticket.