An outdoor exhibition of contemporary photography aimed at sparking conversation about what Bournville in Birmingham has been, is now, and might be in the future is to open next week.
The ‘When We Build Again: Revisited’ exhibition has been produced by award-winning artist Stuart Whipps and historian Professor Matt Houlbrook.
It will be installed on Bournville Village Green from 4th to 27th September before moving to Shenley Court Hall community centre from 1st to 31st October.
The exhibition, supported by Bournville Village Trust (BVT), the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University, is inspired by the work of Bill Brandt.
Widely considered one of the most important British photographers of the 20th century, Brandt was commissioned by BVT to document housing conditions in Birmingham between 1939 and 1943.
Many of Brandt’s photographs were used in the 1941 report ‘When We Build Again’ to campaign for better urban planning and housing standards for working people.
Since summer 2023, Stuart Whipps has been photographing all aspects of Bournville life, revisiting the 1941 report as a catalyst for his new work.
Stuart Whipps, said: “I live just around the corner in Stirchley and am very familiar with Bournville, or at least I thought I was. Walking the estate with a camera has been a totally different experience and has forced me to slow down, to look, and to feel what Bournville is.
“The answer of course is many different things to the many, different people who live and work here. This exhibition represents the very start of an attempt to represent this complexity.”
Matt Houlbrook, said: “Bournville’s cosy image makes it easy to forget how radical the utopian vision that defined its foundation was – and how that progressive energy and the work of Bournville Village Trust has continued to shape developments in housing and urban planning in Birmingham and beyond for almost 125 years.
“Revisiting the pioneering collaboration between Bill Brandt and Bournville Village Trust allows us to see that history in a different light. Stuart’s photographs are a striking record of Bournville today. More than this: they reveal a dynamic and often unexpected story of change and adaptation to the challenges of the past. Stuart’s work invites us to consider what Bournville was – and, in so doing, to think critically about what it is today and might be in the years to come.”
Daniel Callicott, Heritage Manager at Bournville Village Trust, said: “George Cadbury was a radical social reformer, pushing the boundaries in how he managed Cadbury’s and the way in which he created and developed Bournville.
“The quality of housing, the green space and the community facilities were a world away from those in inner city Birmingham. By documenting Bournville in the way he did, Bill Brandt shone a light on the need for better planning and housing conditions for all.
“We are incredibly pleased to have worked with Stuart and Matt to revisit Brandt’s work and to spark a wider conversation about what the radical ideas for housing and community that shaped Bournville should look like faced with today’s financial, political, and environmental challenges.”
The photographs and text presented in the ‘When We Build Again: Revisited’ exhibition are the first glimpse of an ongoing project to create a comprehensive visual record of Bournville today.
Stuart Whipps is based in Birmingham and has exhibited his work across the UK and internationally. He works predominantly with photography and video.
Matt Houlbrook is Professor of Cultural History at the University of Birmingham and an historian of modern Britain. He leads the new partnership between BVT and the University of Birmingham, which includes the joint project Utopias in Crisis.
Bournville Village Trust was founded by George Cadbury in 1900 and is one of the Midlands longest-serving independent charitable trusts. It manages estates, provides homes, delivers community-support services and commercial activities.
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