Schedule
9 AM: Sunrise Stretch: Yoga Class with Manoj
10.30 AM: Perry’s Playtime Disco
12 PM: Muzikstan Presents Rhythm and Strings from across the Atlantic
2:30 PM: Screen Spotlight: Where Are You? by Black Country Touring and Acca Theatre Workshop
4.30 PM: Screen Spotlight: Sport and The Medal
5 PM: Muzikstan Presents Reggae Vibes, Eastern Folk and Kurdish Dance
7.15 PM: B:Music Presents Swing Thing with The Jim Wynn Swingtet and Swing Era
Throughout the day: Games action on screen, Piing, Screen Spotlights, food & drink
We’re marking the start of the week with an accessible Yoga Class with Manoj, designed to get you flowing, focused and at peace for the day ahead. If you have never stepped on the mat before, that’s ok! All will be welcomed and an inclusive atmosphere will be created for all levels and abilities. Feel free to bring along your own mat and join in, 20 mats will be provided to those that don't have their own. Then, get the kids down for Perry’s Playtime Disco - your opportunity to have a boogie with the Commonwealth Games’ official mascot!
At lunchtime, grassroots music platform Muzikstan presents Rhythm and Strings from across the Atlantic, featuring sounds and melodies from the American continent and beyond. Muzikstan delivers high-quality, diverse events by engaging national and international artists and building platforms to collaborate, sharing cultural traditions. Their lineup for the Fountain Stage includes:
Mr Panmaestro, who will bring the soothing sounds of the Caribbean on his Steel Pans. With extensive experience of teaching and performing on Steel Pans in the UK and beyond, Mr Panmaestro is a true virtuoso!
Germa Adan writes and performs a tapestry of ethereal vocal and stringed harmonies, inspired by overlapping identities and cultures. Her recent writing is influenced by Haitian, American, British and global folk, as well as jazz harmonies, classical and contemporary composition techniques.
Rikki & Dalila are a Latin based duo playing the original songs of Rikki Thomas-Martinez as well as traditional Latin and other well known songs in a unique style. They have a massive sound that emanates from just two musicians. Their rhythms are deeply groovy and they radiate sunshine and joy.
In the afternoon, our first Screen Spotlight is a collaboration between Black Country Touring and Accra Theatre Workshop. Where Are You? tells the story of two penpals, Rochi in Bearwood and Abena in Dzorwulu, and of their perilous journey across land, mountains and sea to meet each other in the middle.
Our second Screen Spotlight focuses on the work of Ishtiaq Hussain, a Deaf artist who specialises in Visual Vernacular, a form of physical theatre significant in the Deaf and signing world which is performed by artists in an entirely visual manner. We will screen two videos created by Ishtiaq around the themes of sport, titled Sport and The Medal.
Muzikstan will be back later in the day with a showcase of Reggae vibes, Eastern Folk and Kurdish Dance.
Gabbiddon Acoustic are made up of legendary reggae musician Basil Gabbiddon, of Steel Pulse fame, joined by Candice Gabbidon and Catherine Beroard-Gabbidon. Basil has performed with musicians such as Bob Marley, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, and The Police..
MUHA’s musicians come from different walks of life and each one of them combines their expertise to create a truly unique sound. Combining the melodic beauty of Eastern European folklore, North Indian Kathak rhythms, Cuban beats and original lyrics, they mesmerise with a musical feast rooted in the Slavonic tradition but inspired by sounds from across the world.
Daholl Kurdish Band is an energetic blend of Kurdish and Middle Eastern music which ranges from traditional to contemporary popular dance music. Led by dynamic violinist, percussionist and dance teacher Zirak Hamad, their contagious energy is impossible to resist!
In the evening, join us for a swingin’ good time as the Fountain Stage is taken over by Swing Thing with The Jim Wynn Swingtet and Swing Era! The Jim Wynn Swingtet is a mini big band specialising in 1930s and 40s style swing jazz. Formed in 2015 in Birmingham, the band is a regular at swing dance events and is sure to get the joint jumpin’! Presented by B:Music and generously funded by Colmore BID and Central BID.
At various times during the day, challenge your friends, family and other audience members to a game of Piing. Piing is a virtual game that brings people together, inviting them to play an immersive high-speed game, using their phones as controllers, with the action happening on our big screen. Piing is super simple, uniquely challenging and seriously fun. Presented by Comic Relief - donations are encouraged as part of gameplay. Comic Relief intends to split all proceeds equally between Comic Relief and registered charities United by Birmingham 2022 Legacy Charity and Commonwealth Sport Foundation.
The Festival Food and Drink Eatery, a pop up catering unit, will offer a range of tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner treats daily from 8am to 10pm. From lunchtime, the square will also be licensed for people to enjoy drinks from the bar, including a choice of social enterprise prosecco and cocktails for those looking to support a worthy cause as they enjoy the Games atmosphere.
The menus will change across the two weeks, giving return visitors something different to look forward to and showcasing some of the finest Colmore eateries and bars in the city. For early risers, who want a healthy treat on the way into the city, perhaps after enjoying the Sunrise Stretch sessions, there will be granola yoghurt pots, overnight oats, kombucha and coffee. From lunchtime you can pick up salads, deli bakes, vegan cakes, muffins and pastries plus appetising ciabatta and focaccia sandwiches. There will also be biriyani, vegetarian papdi chaat, spicy chicken noodles and veggie stir fry to enjoy whilst listening to the Fountain Stage Music programme plus kebab wraps, shawarmas with selections of salads, pickles, and sauces and vegan options including crispy tofu. Games and Festival site visitors will be spoiled for choice!
Throughout the day visitors and passers by are also invited to watch sporting highlights from the Games on our big screen, enjoy food and drinks from Colmore BID cafes, bars and restaurants, and take a look at digital commissions and projects from the Birmingham 2022 Festival at our Screen Spotlights.
