Blossoming Balsall Heath, Birmingham for National Trust with Friction Arts and the iSE

Blossoming Balsall Heath, Birmingham for National Trust with Friction Arts and the iSE

 

Blossoming Balsall Heath saw the creation of a temporary community space on a busy high street in Birmingham, whose purpose was to provide a welcoming and accessible hub to activate locals into learning about and engaging with nature. This ‘Blossom Branch’ was based in a rented unit from the iSE (a women’s enterprise & community hub) and worked with local stakeholders and Friction Arts to design a space, which allowed flexible and collaborative programming for people of all ages to take place.

 

 

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

 

As part of the National Trust’s ambition to make nature accessible to those living in urban places, we aimed to deliver a project which would empower locals living and working in Balsall Heath to engage with nature through the medium of blossom trees.

The area of Balsall Heath in East Birmingham was the geographical focus, as the wards which make up the neighbourhood are ranked as two of the most environmentally deprived wards in Birmingham, making it a priority area for increasing access to nature.

However, to make an impact, the project required support and collaboration from the local community. Balsall Heath is the home to 36,000 people, many of whom are global majority audiences, and first, second or third generation of migrant families. The area is characterised by streets of terraced housing – often comprised of social housing and multiple occupancy housing- with little room for green spaces other than a small number of parks which have suffered from years of underinvestment.

Major roads connecting to the city centre dissect the area, and the many trades and businesses in the area means littering and illegal parking are commonplace. Many residents face challenges such as economic deprivation, poor health and for some, the adjustment of living in a new country. Engaging with nature is therefore not a priority for many, who may not have the time, transport or financial means to access the many parks and green spaces elsewhere in the city.

 

Tell us what you did and how the project, event or installation enlivened the place in a creative way? 

 

The team prioritised delivering a project whose activity was done with, rather than to, those who lived and worked in the area. To achieve this, a physical base from which we could develop regular and positive relationships with locals was created, known as the ‘Blossom Branch’.

The Blossom Branch was a shopfront rented from the iSE – a women’s enterprise hub- and was located on a busy high street surrounded by cafes and shops. It was a place for local people to learn about and engage with nature, through an everchanging programme of activities, workshops, talks and events aligned with a different nature theme each month. From children’s ‘Grow Club’, to ‘Ladies’ Botanical Printing’, there was something for everyone, and much of the programming was created in collaboration with local stakeholders and visitors. Accessible and innovative activities such as windowsill gardening were particularly popular.

The Blossom Branch was designed by Friction Arts and allowed staff to easily change its layout to accommodate different events and groups visiting. The space utilised the senses - from audio clippings and ‘smelling pots’, to interactive elements on the walls, and the overall effect was a welcoming and safe space that encouraged passers-by to enter and discover. Displays were changed seasonally, and local groups could run their own activities within the space. Many within the iSE believed that the Blossom Branch brought something new and ‘high quality’ to an area which had little to do for families and was often seen as being overlooked.

 

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution? If it was a temporary intervention, is there a legacy plan? What happened to its tenants, users, materials and programming?

 

Evaluation undertaken during the Branch’s opening showed visitors learnt a lot of new skills around gardening and plant identification, with 343 blossom trees planted in the local community for locals to enjoy. Participants credited the Branch with giving them ideas and inspiration on how they could engage with nature, even if living in rented houses with no gardens.

There were also a lot of community benefits. Isolated individuals made friendships through the workshops, which have continued long after the Branch’s closure. The NHS signposted it as a mindful and safe space for those with learning difficulties, and many parents with SEN children were regular visitors. Even during the Race Riots during summer 2024, visitors still came, and local collaborators found contacts and networks to help promote and develop their own agendas and projects – such as Friends of Spark Green Park and the Patchwork Meadow.

When the Branch closed, all items were auctioned off to the community through an ‘auction of good will’, with winners allocated based on the number of volunteering hours they pledged to a local organisation, which overall totalled 126 hours.

Engagement with the National Trust and nature has also continued. In April 2025, 476 people took part in the Festival of Blossom in Balsall Heath, alongside 705 school engagements. One school has created a gardening club and planted vegetable and flower patches, and the local park has had new supporters sign up, which they credit to the increased visibility our project gave them.