It was all about Architecture last week for our Culture Clubbers!

Birmingham is filled with amazing buildings, spanning centuries – from the 17th Century ‘Sarehole Mill’ to the 21st Century ‘Bullring’ and, even closer to Culture Club, our very own ‘The Edge’. 

Architecture surrounds us, and the Club had the opportunity to share their own perspectives last week. Culture Club was able to see the links that cultural buildings have with Art; how the buildings are intrinsically linked with history, heritage, and their culture. The members were able to create their own connections with the buildings that surround them, establishing personal links by adding them to their ‘Street’ and choosing which buildings they wanted to sketch and include in their collages! We started by sharing ‘Street Views’ of where we live and combined them with our favourite places. A definite highlight was seeing one participant add McDonald’s to the road he lives on!

It also allowed them to ask questions – where is that Cathedral? How old is Sarehole Mill? – creating conversations that reach far beyond Birmingham. One member sparked our own curiosity by asking where the tallest building in the world is and how long it took for it to be built (we Googled it and found out that it was a building in Dubai and it took 5 years – impressive!). 

Inquisitiveness leads to teaching moments – not only for the children but for us artists, and Culture Club is a place to speak, learn, and not hold back. Last week we learnt more about the buildings we walk past every day and to keep asking questions about them! Above all, the children were able to envisage places in Birmingham they maybe hadn’t before – including The Edge, which a member beautifully recreated through her drawing that she drew in pencil and coloured in (image)!

All in all, a great week learning more about Birmingham, and showing our cultural identity through architecture!