This coming Saturday 14th September, High Vis is bringing Birmingham’s annual High Vis Street Art Festival to Kings Heath as part of a bigger year-long programme aiming to transform Kings Heath into a central hub for visual artists of all disciplines.
The street art event is expanding its footprint to Kings Heath as it returns for a seventh successive year – part of a 12-month-long schedule of art-related events for all ages!
The celebration of live art in the city will visit the Kings Heath area from 12pm onwards on Saturday 14 September, taking up residency on York Road, Institute Road and along Alcester Road underpinning its commitment to developing creativity and new audiences in Birmingham.
Artworks will also contribute towards the festival’s Street Art Tour Guide which already features the many permanent small and large-scale murals High Vis has helped create and curate over the years – including N4T4’s iconic Black Sabbath piece outside the National Express Coach Station in Digbeth and ThatBlokeWilson’s colourful, exotic mural adorning the side of Las Iguanas in the Arcadian Centre.
As well featuring over 30 invited artists, Hi Vis will present a free paste-up workshop at Nook Art Gallery – run by local artists Boxi Trixi and Sgt. Wilko.
The festival’s programme also plays host to the first semi-final of this year’s High Vis Drink and Ink Art Battle at Kings Heath venue The Juke, a drink and draw with local youth basketball team, The Clangers, offering a free drop-in session at Bishop Challoner Sports Centre.
Music on the day is provided by Revolution Sound at Bishop Challoner College, who will be collecting for Kings Heath Food Bank throughout the day.
Hi Vis co-director Olly MacNamee said, “We’re delighted to be making Kings Heath our new home for the foreseeable future.
“The area is already jam-packed with cultural happenings, thanks to the monthly Birmingham Artisan Markets, Queens Heath Pride, Soul City Art’s annual Eid celebrations and the Kings Heath Festival which we are happy to be teaming up with this year, thanks to our great new partners, Enjoy Kings Heath.
“Birmingham has long been a hotbed of untapped talent, and through events like High Vis Festival we want to raise the city’s profile as one of the prime destinations to come to for fans of street art and graffiti.”
All Hi Vis Street Art Festival events are free and family-friendly.
Hi Vis co-director and graffiti artist David “Panda” Brown, added “Running regular monthly art events at various locations across the city with many communities is just one part of our commitment to helping grow creativity amongst the street art family.
“We are also super excited about our plans for a comic book convention here in the heart of the community working with like-minded venues like The Hare and Hounds, The Station and The Juke – who have all been very supportive of our plans.
“Hi Vis is only possible with the support of community partners, and we look forward to welcoming street art fans for what promises to be a very special day in Kings Heath.”
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