Green Roots on the Meadow

On Saturday 16 August 2025, Multistory hosted Green Roots on the Meadow, our free and family-friendly annual celebration that forms part of our Green Roots in West Bromwich programme. Taking place at the wildflower meadow behind Primark at New Square shopping centre, the day brought together art, music, theatre, and hands-on activities, with a particular focus on connecting people to nature and to one another.

The meadow was planted in 2023 with the help of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and the celebrations that have taken place there since serve to highlight the key aim of our Green Roots programme; to improve, enhance and care for green public spaces in West Bromwich. As part of Sandwell Council’s Urban Greening Town Improvement Fund, Green Roots on the Meadow brought artists, young people and community members together to connect with nature, learn from one another, and explore creative ways to encourage people to care for and enjoy public green spaces.

Local celebrities Bostin’ Brass kicked off the day, and the meadow soon filled with visitors, enjoying the activities on offer. This year, one of the highlights of the event was Pottery Pollinators, a new commission by Juneau Projects. Artists Ben Sadler and Philip Duckworth collaborated with young people from West Brom’s YMCA and other community members to create a trail of ceramic pollinating insects through the meadow. Visitors were able to walk through the trail, reflecting on the essential role pollinators play in sustaining both local ecosystems and wider food systems alike.

Roaming theatre duo Bee Cartby PifPaf Theatresed humour, intricate props, and fantastical costumes to deliver an interactive educational performance that teaches audiences about the importance of protecting bees. The Bee Cart took to the streets of West Bromwich’s town centre and moved around the meadow to spread their joy and awareness around bee wisdom.

Meanwhile, Birmingham Opera Company ran a drop-in poetry writing workshop, encouraging visitors to spend some time writing and think about how words can be used creatively to examine our relationship with nature, wildlife and the outdoors. Visitors were also invited to try their hand at the various creative activities on offer, including screenprinting with Laura Onions, making imaginative creatures from recycled materials with Polarbear and painting miniature pollinators and creating collages with Juneau Projects. Visitors could pick up a free copy of This is Real, an eco-zine created by Polarbear and young people from Sandwell’s SHAPE programme that is full of activities and explores key topics around environmental sustainability, social justice and how young people can influence change in their local communities.

Jacob from The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust was on hand to share practical advice and knowledge on planting wildflower meadows and supporting local biodiversity, and invited people to take home free wildflower seed packets to sow at home in their gardens, allotments and hedgerows to extend the impact of the day beyond the meadow itself.

To close the event, we listened as visitors performed poems they had written on the day, followed by a voice and piano recital from Birmingham Opera Company to close the day. It was a joy to see visitors sit in deckchairs, indulge in a samosa and enjoy the atmosphere as the sun shone down on the meadow.

By bringing together creativity, learning, and outdoor engagement, Green Roots on the Meadow demonstrates how environmental stewardship and community connection can go hand in hand. Shared experiences, artistic expression and small acts of care for our surroundings can have a meaningful impact on the green spaces we all share.

We would like to thank all who came along to our Green Roots on the Meadow celebration, and to thank everyone who took part in and supported this event.

A special thanks to all who contributed to the success of the event: Arts Council England, Black Country Touring, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, Birmingham Opera Company, Bostin’ Brass, Ellis Miles Stewart, Infamous Arts, Juneau Projects, Laura Onions, New Square, Pif Paf Theatre, Sandwell Council, Steven Camden (aka Polarbear), Tegen Kimbley, and YMCA West Bromwich.