PoliNations invites you to step into a city-centre forest garden of magical proportions where you will be welcomed by an epic array of colour and nature.
Giant architectural trees drink rainwater as the forest garden plays host to a vibrant and spectacular free events programme situated in an oasis of thousands of plants and flowers co-planted by the city’s residents.
This super-natural wonderland uncovers the origin stories of the plants we know so well, in a celebration of colour, beauty, and natural diversity.
The entire PoliNations programme is free to enjoy and everyone is invited!
8AM - 8.10AM | Sound & Light | The Awakening
Early risers are invited to stretch and welcome in the day or sit under a tree as the forest wakes up.
Influenced by the sounds of nature, an original piece by Composer and Co-creator Max Perryment and Olivier Award winning and PoliNations Sound Designer Tom Gibbons, will gently awaken the super garden, hailing the start of a new day, every day. Take a seat, take a breath, or walk a little slower through the flowers, under the trees and out into your day.
Every day, you can also join us among the flowers and trees for a free guided session of Yoga, Meditation and Gong baths led by local teachers. Bring your practice to Polinations, wrapping nature into your sessions as you awaken with the super garden. Meditation is always welcome in the super garden, so even if you're not part of a class, feel free to take a moment among the trees.
8AM - 9PM | Everything | Iconic Plant Audio Tours
Put on some headphones and travel throughout the suepr garden in a zen like experience, as you listen to music and audio responses to our iconic plants, and found out how they came to be here.
You can choose to listen to the audio and music, or the music only channel.
Estimated time: 40mins – 1 hour
The Audio Tour features text by renowned author and environmentalist Jon Drori (author of bestseller "Around the World in 80 Trees") set to original music from cutting edge musicians and created by Olivier Award winning sound designer Tom Gibbons. Around each plant you’ll also find creative responses from award winning poets.
Follow this link for Jon Drori's full texts.
Writers: Romalyn Ante, Casey Bailey, Sujana Crawford, Olga Dermott-Bond, Isabel Galleymore, Sam J Grudgings, Emilie Lauren Jones, Roy McFarlane
Musicians: Tingying Dong, Meesha Fones, Petter Grevelius, Rakae Jamil, Fizz Margereson, My Panda Shall Fly, Sam Lee, Rosie Tee
Sound Design: Tom Gibbons
Audio Descriptions: Ask the Information Point for information on accessing Audio Descriptions of the sculptures through the headsets
Braille: Identification panels are found at the signs by each of the Iconic Plants.
10AM - 4PM | Activity | Plant Up!
Get your hands dirty and join in with the co-plant, with 600 people from all over Birmingham. Made up of thousands of plants and flowers, the PoliNations super garden will bloom with colour throughout the festival!
Over the opening weekend, pick up one of the 600 beautiful pot-marigolds grown from seed and Plant Up! With the 60+ community groups from around the city to add to the colour and vibrancy of the PoliNations super garden. No need to book, just pop by and our team will give you a plant and help you place it in the super garden. Afterwards stay and explore PoliNations at your leisure.
11AM - 12PM | Activity | Tuk Tuk Chaiwallah
Enjoy a free cup of chai every day, whilst exploring the history of tea and its journey to the UK.
Thank you to our friends at Dishoom for taking us on this fascinating chai-filled journey!
1PM - 2PM | Talk | Lunchtime Talk with JC Niala and Dr Alex Mayhew: Pandemics - drawing closer to nature
Part of the series curated by organic food grower and writer Claire Ratinon and artist and teacher Sam Ayre writer, researcher and maker JC Niala and historian Dr Alex Mayhew will explore how pandemics draw people to nature, the outside world and home growing.
JC Niala is a writer, poet, and anthropologist whose work traces the way in which our imaginations of nature affects how we treat it. During the growing season of 2021, she recreated an allotment in the style of the year 1918.
Dr. Alex Mayhew is a historian of modern warfare with a particular interest in the cultural features of the Great War. He has studied, taught, and worked at the London School of Economics since 2014. Next year, his first book, Making Sense of the Great War, will be published by Cambridge University Press.
This event will feature BSL interpretation throughout.
3PM - 4PM | Activity | Tuk Tuk Chaiwallah
Enjoy a free cup of chai every day, whilst exploring the history of tea and its journey to the UK.
Thank you to our friends at Dishoom for taking us on this fascinating chai-filled journey!
7.48PM - 8.18PM | Sound & Light | Sunset Shift
Every day at dusk, our super will undergo a beautiful transition into night. Enjoy a mesmerising light show, nature-inspired soundscapes and ethereal performances, taking a moment to pause and reflect before moving into the evening's activities. The soundscapes centre around the ancient ritual musical instrument, the Bullroarer, and are developed and recorded by brass and percussion players from BCU’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University in collaboration with PoliNations’ Sound Designer Tom Gibbons.
Website: unboxed2022.uk and polinations.com
