Symposium: Families in Birmingham: change and continuity

Free
Meeting Room 104, Conference Suite, Level 1, Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2ND

This symposium, organised in collaboration with Dr Elizabeth Yardley, School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, takes its inspiration from A Real Birmingham Family and asks ‘What challenges do families face in Birmingham in the twenty-first century?’

The day features special guest speakers including Javed Khan, Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, Ruth Sapsed, Director of Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination and Steve Ball, Associate Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The day is open to all and would be of particular interest to professionals working with families and children in a variety of contexts, including the arts, education, health and social care.

Click here for full programme.

Places are free but should be booked online or by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708. Please note that online booking closes at 5pm on Sunday 2 November.

About A Real Birmingham Family
Ikon unveils A Real Birmingham Family, a public sculpture that is the culmination of our four-year project with Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing.

During 2011 and 2012, residents of Birmingham were encouraged to nominate their families to be the face of Birmingham. No limits were placed on how the twenty-first century family might define itself and hundreds of families responded, including groups of friends, single parents and people living alone.

In 2013 the Jones family – two sisters, Roma and Emma, and their two sons, Kyan and Shaye – were chosen as A Real Birmingham Family by the artist and a diverse panel of community, cultural and religious figures. The selection was made following discussions on what constitutes a Birmingham family: multiple generations, friendships and diversity as well as evidential links to the city.

I really liked how Roma and Emma Jones spoke of their closeness as sisters and how they supported each other. It seemed a very strong bond, one of friendship and family, and the sculpture puts across that connectedness between them. A nuclear family is one reality but it is one of many and this work celebrates the idea that what constitutes a family should not be fixed.
Gillian Wearing