Volunteers needed for Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery reopening event

The long-awaited reopening of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is being marked by an exciting Feast of Drums procession of music and dance through Birmingham city centre that will end in Chamberlain Square.

BMAG reopens for the first time since October 2020 on April 28. The Feast of Drums event will be held two days later on April 30 and Birmingham Museums Trust is hiring volunteers to take part.

They’re looking for help in various aspects of the Feast of Drums, including processional stewards, people to take part in the musical procession, and runners. Volunteers can also apply for positions in site maintenance, food service support, event control support, and as a volunteer assistant to help the volunteer coordinator.

Those interested can submit an application form here.

The events are also part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival to celebrate the Commonwealth Games arriving in the city from July 28 to August 8.

On April 28 the Round Room, Industrial Gallery, Edwardian Tearooms, Gallery 10, and the BMAG Shop will reopen seven days a week.

The Bridge Gallery will also reopen to showcase a selection of pieces from the civic collection and give visitors the chance to give feedback on what they want to see when the museum and gallery open fully.

The partial reopening will take place while Birmingham City Council’s essential electrical work continue in other areas of the building.

The areas that are reopening in April will close again in December 2022 to allow maintenance work to continue before the building reopens fully in 2024.

What has BMAG said about the reopening?

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, Co-CEOs of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “Having spoken to the creative teams behind the partner displays and seen their displays taking shape we’re so excited to be unpacking BMAG in just four weeks – for the Commonwealth Games and the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

“The museum is going to feel very different this summer with a new approach to exhibitions and how visitors enjoy the themes on display and the galleries hosting them.

“While some of the spaces may feel different there will always be a warm welcome and we want everyone to join us for a look around or a hot drink and lunch in the lovely Edwardian Tearooms.”

April 28 will also mark the opening of the This Is Birmingham exhibition with five displays bringing together themes such as cultural identity, community, and media.

There will be pieces on display as well as talks and performances to mark the exhibition.

What else is happening at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery?

On May 14, the city’s first major art exhibition since the pandemic will come to the Gas Hall.

Found Cities, Lost Objects: Women in the City is an Arts Council Collection exhibition curated by Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid CBE.

The new exhibition invites visitors to consider the experiences of women in the city, as seen through the lens of art.

Martin Green CBE, Chief Creative Officer, Birmingham 2022, said: “Bringing multiple creative companies together under one roof for this series of pop-up displays is really exciting.

“Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a major cultural force in the city and this fresh direction and openness speaks volumes about Birmingham and the region.”

For more information on events and exhibitions coming to BMAG, click here.

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