Amplifying Voices

Welcome to the preview episode of Amplifying Voices, the first in a new series of podcasts dedicated to what people have to say about the spaces they occupy. This, and future episodes have been created in addition to a number of films that were produced for the Birmingham 2022 Festival, all of which were centred in and around the Tower Ballroom, a much loved venue at the edge of Edgbaston Reservoir, in Ladywood, Birmingham, which closed in 2017, after 141 years. This now iconic piece of local history is soon to be demolished to make way for a new housing development...and whereas the films explored the Tower’s fascinating past, and even at times an imagined future, the podcasts instead ponder the question: what spaces do we really want?

For this prologue, the Children of the Diaspora decided to go to the Edgbaston Reservoir and give their voices to the people. They asked bypassers their opinion on the fate of the Tower Ballroom, and what they would have wanted for the space. A Bertz Associates podcast by the Children of the Diaspora, brought to you by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.Hosted by Elilta Tiruneh, Jessica SambaProduced and edited by Jessica Samba, Vanille VardonExecutive producer and mother of the project, Iris BertzSound by Stephen StanleyMusic by Mia SugunasinghaLogo by Sharonjit Sutton

In this first episode, Coronation Street and Doctors actress Lorna Laidlaw discusses her childhood in Ladywood, her self made career as a black woman from Birmingham, and her prospects for the youth.A Bertz Associates podcast by the Children of the Diaspora, brought to you by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.Recorded at The Yard, find out more: https://www.yardarthouse.coHosted by Elilta Tiruneh, Jessica SambaProduced and edited by Jessica Samba, Vanille VardonExecutive producer and mother of the project, Iris BertzSound by Stephen StanleyMusic by Mia SugunasinghaLogo by Sharonjit Sutton

Katie Kershaw, a Ladywood resident and passionate boxer, uses her experience as an urban planner to reflect on the case of the Tower, and explore the sustainable prospects for an environment and community-friendly city. A Bertz Associates podcast by the Children of the Diaspora, brought to you by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.Hosted by Elilta Tiruneh, Jessica SambaProduced and edited by Jessica Samba, Vanille VardonExecutive producer and mother of the project, Iris BertzSound by Stephen StanleyMusic by Mia SugunasinghaLogo by Sharonjit Sutton

At only 29, Danni Bank Ingram, aka Zaz, has landed their dream job by co-founding Civic Square, a platform for young people to express themselves and nurture the community, currently based in the Port Loop development. They dedicate their time giving back to locals and fostering trust and kindness in the neighborhood; and with these simple philanthropic gestures, they disrupt the traditional economic model to build a thriving community.Find out more at civicsquare.ccA Bertz Associates podcast by the Children of the Diaspora, brought to you by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.Hosted by Elilta Tiruneh, Jessica SambaProduced and edited by Jessica Samba, Vanille VardonExecutive producer and mother of the project, Iris BertzSound by Stephen StanleyMusic by Mia SugunasinghaLogo by Sharonjit Sutton

In this last episode, meet the hearts of the project: an interview of our young and talented host, Elilta Tiruneh, by Stephen Stanley, our sound engineer; followed by a discussion between Elilta, our second host and producer Jessica Samba, with Iris Bertz, executive producer and founder of Bertz Associates.Elilta and Stephen draw from their own respective backgrounds to delve into ways of building intercultural and intergenerational communities, reflecting on the Tower Ballroom and related projects.Discussing how she came to build this arts and culture organization, Iris tackles the importance of believing in young people and giving them a chance to express themselves, as well as the urgent need to redefine the traditional workspaces. A Bertz Associates podcast by the Children of the Diaspora, brought to you by the Birmingham 2022 Festival.Hosted by Elilta Tiruneh, Jessica SambaProduced and edited by Jessica Samba, Vanille VardonExecutive producer and mother of the project, Iris BertzSound by Stephen StanleyMusic by Mia SugunasinghaLogo by Sharonjit Sutton