Amplifying Voices, a podcast dedicated to what people have to say about the spaces they occupy.

The Tower Ballroom was a venue located in the Edgbaston Reservoir in Ladywood, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Opened to the public in 1876, it provided a haven that celebrated cultures irrespective of race, creed or colour. Throughout the decades, music, dance, cuisine, sport and romance were played out in the most exuberant manner, forging the Tower in the heart of Brummies throughout generations.

However, in 2017, the building closed after 141 of activity and has been abandoned since, becoming part of the Reservoir's landscape. The current plan coveted by the council is to demolish the building to turn into housing, which is opposed by the local community, as it will lead to privatisation of the Edgbaston Reservoir by stealth and also destroy a local nature reserve.

The idea for this podcast was generated following the production of two films as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival: Sporting Tower 1&2, a documentary and an experimental short film celebrating the life of the Tower and asking what its future might be. The films were developed through working with a group of emerging creative professionals from Birmingham, researching the history of the venue & its future.

Amplifying Voices seek to pursue further the eulogy of the Tower, while giving voice to the community and ponder: what spaces do we really want?

A Bertz Associates podcast brought to you by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Find out more about the Tower Ballroom and other community projects on our website.

Send us your reaction by email (admin@bertzassociates.net) or on our Instagram @bertzassociates.

Children of the Diaspora:

Hosted by Elilta Tiruneh, Jessica Samba

Produced by Jessica Samba, Vanille Vardon

Executive producer and mother of the project, Iris Bertz

Sound by Stephen Stanley

Preview episode produced by Rebekah Tolley-Georgiou

Music by Mia Sugunasingha

Logo by Sharonjit Sutton

Acknowledgement

A huge thank you to the wonderful guests that have accepted to be interviewed for this podcast.

Gracious thanks to the Yard, community space for local artists in Birmingham, where part of the episodes were recorded.

Finally, a big congratulation to the whole team for all the work put in the production of Amplifying Voices!

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