Art installation celebrating “hope, prayer and community spirit” comes to Birmingham Festival 23

A special art installation allowing members of the public to share their thoughts and strengthen community spirit will be unveiled during the free 10-day Birmingham Festival 23.

Nomad: A Tent for Refection installation will take place on Thursday 3rd August from 11am-4pm at the Exchange Building in Centenary Square.  

As part of the University of Birmingham’s Culture Forward initiative, Soul City Arts will create a rare and special installation entitled Nomad for Birmingham Festival 23.

Established street and calligraphy artist Mohammed Ali (artistic director of Soul City Arts) brings a specially made “nomadic reflection booth” in the shape of a tent for the public to step inside and scribe and record their most cherished thoughts and du’as (prayers).

The Birmingham-based artist and curator is hoping to bring people together in a safe space where they can share their thoughts and strengthen community spirit.

Speaking about the event, artist Ali said: “I have been developing a new concept called ‘Nomad – A Tent for Reflection’ taking place for one day during the Birmingham Festival 23.

“We are creating an installation inviting members of the public to step inside of, to share their prayers, hopes and reflections.”

Following on from Soul City Arts’ exploration into what prayer and faith means in a modern society through the recent Waswasa show, artist Ali invites the audience into an intimate setting where people are free to contemplate, reflect, be at ease and share their thoughts in a soothing and relaxing atmosphere.

The installation will be set up within the elegant Assembly Rooms in the University’s Exchange Building which stands directly opposite the Library of Birmingham in Broad Street.

Between 11am-4pm people will be allowed to enter the tent – one at a time – and their messages will be captured in written and video form within the specially built ’Nomad’ tent structure.

A selection of the filmed recordings of the hopes and prayers shared by members of the public will be gathered in a same-day-edit and made into a short film which will be screened via a giant LED screen in Centenary Square at 6:45pm.