Shocking statistics have emerged showing that unemployment amongst young people in Birmingham is twice as high as the national average, stating that around one in five millennials in the city is currently out of work. Determined to show these stats the door, Aquarius and Birmingham Museums Trust have joined forces to roll out new roles for 18-24-year-olds facing barriers to employment.

Designed to provide young people with opportunities to get onto the career ladder, the partnership between them will see the creation of two follow-on work schemes at Blakesley Hall’s Herb Garden Café. These will be for those progressing on from Aquarius’s social enterprise café, Evolve, which currently provides 12-month apprenticeship placements at its sites in Digbeth and Selly Oak. Read More...

Saturday 26 October – Sunday 3 November

Come and take part in some spine-chilling fun with the whole family this October half term at Birmingham Museums. Here’s a full rundown of the ghoulish goings-on guaranteed to entertain. Read More...

Following a decade of intensive conservation and expert research, a new book available from November will reveal the importance of the spectacular Staffordshire Hoard to our knowledge of British and world history. The Hoard’s significance for the understanding of the years 600-675 AD, a particularly turbulent time in Anglo-Saxon history, is now much clearer and many fascinating individual discoveries are uncovered which transform ideas about the early Anglo-Saxon period.

The details include: Read More...

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG) is launching into its Autumn and Winter season with a programme of fascinating exhibitions, magical events and new audio guide tours set to bring a whole new perspective to popular displays. 

Two new exhibitions open in December at BMAG. Showcasing gems from Birmingham’s costume collection Dressed to the Nines opens on Saturday 7 December. Whether you’re off to a formal do or a night out on the town with friends, clothes play an important part in special occasions. These clothes might only ever be worn once or twice. They can become treasured possessions and reminders of the occasion they were worn for.    Read More...

Aston Hall will be letting loose its most fearful spooks yet for two after-hours events, where those who dare can spend the scariest time of year at one of Britain’s most haunted buildings!

Fright Nights: Aston Alive! is a completely new interactive ghost story on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October. The one-hour experience will see visitors exploring the mysterious nooks and crannies of the grand mansion in the darkness of night. Read More...

Birmingham Museums is launching a range of new corporate patrons’ schemes, giving businesses the opportunity to support the charity and align their brand with the city’s culture, heritage and world-class collection. 

The new corporate opportunities programme, which launches on Thursday 12 September, is based on a tiered structure with a range of opportunities to unlock, including reaching Birmingham Museums’ 1.2 million annual visitors.  Read More...

Visitors have travelled from across the world to celebrate Birmingham icons, Black Sabbath, at the Home of Metal exhibition, Black Sabbath – 50 Years, which is on display until 29 September at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG). 

Over 12,000 visitors, from countries including Czech Republic, Mexico, Japan, Poland, Uruguay and the United States have seen the exhibition so far, which features an array of over 1,000 items celebrating the band and their global fanbase.  Read More...

Emmy Bridgwater, a Birmingham artist who was a significant member of the British surrealist movement, has been recognised by the Birmingham Civic Society with a blue plaque, unveiled at a ceremony this week at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG). 

Birmingham Civic Society awards blue plaques to people who have excelled in their career or made a significant contribution to the city. Emmy Frith Bridgwater, born in Edgbaston in 1906, attended the Birmingham School of Arts & Crafts and was a founder member of the ‘Birmingham Group’ of surrealists, who were influenced by Parisian surrealist artists, such as Salvador Dalí and André Breton.    Read More...

3 August – 18 November 

Picasso, Pacheco, Auerbach and Bomberg – just some of the artists who feature in Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s (BMAG) new free exhibition – Thoughts on Portraiture – which opens on Saturday 3 August and explores how artists have used a wide range of styles and imagery to interpret complex human emotion and experiences. Read More...

MiniBrum, Thinktank’s new interactive mini-city attraction, now has its very own Mayor!

Poppy, aged 7 from Stratford-upon-Avon, was crowned the Mayor of MiniBrum by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Councillor Mohammed Azim and Lady Mayoress, Miss Bushra Bi, at a ceremony this week.  Read More...