NEIGHBOURHOOD FUTURES FESTIVAL: SATURDAY
GET YOUR FREE TICKETSSATURDAY 27TH JUNE - 10:30AM-5PM
Locations & timings are weather-dependent and may be subject to change.
ROOTS & TALES: THE STORIES OF OUR LIVES
WITH LOUDEEMY
10:30AM-2PM, Bonga Tent
Join Loudeemy for a playful, intergenerational drop-in featuring storytelling, creativity and imagination as we come together to share childhood memories and bring them to life through art and craft.
Created especially to support adults who have childcare responsibilities, including parents, grandparents, older parents, and foster parents, you’ll have the chance to share experiences and celebrate the rich histories that make up our community.
SETTLE DOWN & CRAFT!
WITH BIRMNGHAM SETTLEMENT
10:30AM-2PM, Kids Zone
Join Birmingham Settlement’s crafty crew and get buzzy with fun, nature-inspired makes.
- Make colourful insect paper mosaics
- Try leaf printing using patterns from nature
- Make a cardboard flower to brighten your bedroom or home!
For children of all ages, SEND friendly.
KIN WEAVING!
WITH AMANDA GRIST
11AM-12PM, Wellbeing Tent
Kin Weaving is an invitation to nourish our body, mind and spirit in harmony with nature.
Explore deep nature connection, meditation and energy medicine tools as we listen from the stillness at the core of our being to help us attune to our inner experience and outer world, bringing greater harmony into our lives.
MORNING MINDFULNESS
WITH BIRMINGHAM SETTLEMENT
11:30AM-12:15PM, Off-Grid Zone
Join the Settlement’s mindfulness maestro and Community Trainer David for moments of mindful meditation.
Learn how to ground yourself with the help of nature; tune into the sound of the birds, the rustle of trees in the breeze and discover how the wonders of the natural world can help our wellbeing.
NATURE NAVIGATORS!
WITH BIRMINGHAM SETTLEMENT
12PM-1PM, Meet at the Creative Shed
Calling all nature lovers – join us to explore the wildlife of Ladywood!
Explore the overnight moth trap to discover which nocturnal flyers have been having fun at the festival as we slumber, then get hands-on with pond dipping, discovering the incredible variety of wildlife living beneath the water’s surface.
A family-friendly activity for curious explorers of all ages.
FILM SONG SING-A-LONG
WITH R-COMMUNITY CHOIRS
12PM-1PM, The Amphitheatre
Sing along with R-Community Choirs – enjoy an upbeat repertoire from films and musicals through the years. Suitable for all ages, just come along and experience the joy of collaborating as part of a community choir and create joy through music!
Song sheets provided for all to get involved.
PLANT WITH PAT!
WITH BIRMINGHAM SETTLEMENT
12PM-3PM, Plant Zone
Green to gardening? Plant petrified? Flower flummoxed? Don’t worry, Pat can help!
A friendly gardening drop-in led by our dedicated Birmingham Settlement volunteer, Pat.
Great for those who want to learn the basics of planting, growing vegetables, and managing a garden – or those with no garden or experience who would like to give it a go!
CONNECT MORE
WITH TINA FRANCIS TAPESTRY
12PM-5PM, Wellbeing Tent
Often, craft activities take place in large groups, but sometimes doing something yourself can be just the tonic you need.
Drop in for a gentle stitching session with Tina, where conversation can flow naturally – or not at all – depending on how you’re feeling. Add your own stitches to a collective community canvas that will become a permanent artwork for Birmingham Settlement’s Nature & Wellbeing Centre.
Whether you’d like to talk about life, the neighbourhood, nature, climate, community, or simply enjoy a few peaceful minutes, you’ll find a warm welcome and listening ear.
POETRY COMES NATURALLY!
WITH NATHAN LUNT
12PM-4PM, The Secret Garden
Poetry has always drawn inspiration from nature, celebrating beauty in carefully curated words. But, as cities grow larger and human influence stretches further, can we find space to celebrate nature while we still have the chance? Nathan says yes!
Take a walk around the festival site absorbing the sights and sounds, scents and sensations that surround us and turn your observations into poetry.
Whether you’re an experienced writer or don’t know a haiku from a hyacinth, Nathan offers something for any nature fans with a passion for conservation, conversation and creativity, encouraging children and adults alike to find the beauty around them.
ORBIT OF US
WITH ROGUEPLAY THEATRE
1PM & 3PM + WORKSHOPS, Central Field
A cosmic circus tale of kindness, equality, and belonging.
Planets glide, spin and sweep past one another – sometimes close enough to spark, always guided back into balance. Enjoy an aerial performance exploring how difference can coexist, how energy can be shared, and a celebration of connection under one sky.
Orbits of Us reminds us that we all live on the same Earth, under the same sky, and that kindness, equality and harmony aren’t abstract ideas, but daily choices.
The experience continues after the show with participatory workshops in circus skills.
OFF-GRID SILENT DISCO
WITH BIRMINGHAM SETTLEMENT
1PM-4:30PM, Off-Grid Zone
Enjoy a unique outdoor party powered by people and green energy – without disturbing the birds and bees!
Grab a headset, tune in and dance like wild beneath the trees in a beautiful open-air dancefloor. Choose your channel and enjoy all the joys of the discotheque while staying connected to nature.
MOVEMENT FOR ALL
WITH AUGMENTED LIFESTYLE CIC
1PM-5PM, The Dome Courtyard
Augmented Lifestyle CIC is a not for profit organisation delivering physical health and well-being sessions across Birmingham and Soliihull.
Join them for a variety of accessible activities such as chair-based yoga and Zumba, plus a host of activities and games.
Suitable for all ages and abilities.
THE RE-USERS
WITH BIRMINGHAM SETTLEMENT
1PM-5PM, The Creative Shed
Join Birmingham Settlement volunteer Mary for a hands-on sewing workshop. Reusing surplus material donated to our charity shops, learn how to upcycle waste fabric into something new.
Get to experience Mary’s in-demand tutorials and learn how to make a drawstring bag or backpack.
Six sewing machines available for one-hour slots – no booking required, just come along and have a go!
COME & SING!
WITH BIRMINGHAM OPERA COMPANY
2PM-3PM, The Amphitheatre
For one day only, our Reservoir amphitheatre transforms into an opera house!
Join a pop-up performance and try the art of opera out for yourself in a friendly and inclusive environment supported by the Birmingham Opera team.
This performance workshop is open to all abilities, featuring music inspired by nature and caring for our planet including “Make our Garden Grow” from Candide by Leonard Bernstein.
Relax, Connect & Feel Good!
WITH REIKI MATTERS
2PM-5PM, Wellbeing Tent
Reiki is a Japanese energy-healing practice aimed at promoting relaxation, stress reduction, and overall well-being by channeling energy through the hands.
Learn about the art of Reiki with Harpi from Reiki Matters and relax with simple breathing exercises, listen to key Reiki principles, build on your confidence, and jot down affirmations on wooden hearts to take home as keepsakes.
ECO CREATIONS: NATURE INSPIRED WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN
WITH CENTRALA
2PM-4PM, Kids Zone
A family-friendly workshop celebrating creativity, community, and care for the planet.
This special session invites Ukrainian, Afghan, Syrian, migrant, and local women and children to come together for a joyful afternoon of hands-on making. Create garden and balcony decorations, playful fridge magnets, and bird feeders with uplifting messages, using eco-friendly and recycled materials. Whilst we make, we’ll explore simple ways to care for the environment and the small steps that make a big difference.
Expect smiles, shared stories, and beautiful take-home creations.
URBAN FOREST BREW
WITH SECRET CITY ARTS
2.30PM-5PM, Bonga Tent
Gather under the cool canopy of the Bonga Tent for a unique blend of herbal tea, storytelling, music and creativity with storyteller Pyn Stockman, musician Ann Jones and visual artist and medical herbalist Arlene Burnett.
Brew and share a herbal tea inspired by nature, enjoy stories and songs, and help create a collective Urban Forest Charm exploring what we can learn from the plants, trees and wildlife that share our city.
Expect a warm, welcoming and interactive session full of conversation, creativity and connection.
FAMILY FUN YOGA
WITH BIRMINGHAM SETTLEMENT
3PM-4PM, Central Field
Take part in a playful outdoor family yoga session with our Community Action Worker Ewa!
Ewa will talk you through a variety of yoga poses and relaxing breathing exercises in the beautiful surrounds of our green space.
All ages and abilities welcome – come as you are, yoga mats provided!
SHE; THROUGH THE WILD
WITH KENEISH DANCE
4.30PM-5PM, The Amphitheatre
She; Through the Wild is a journey through time – from the fearful, shackled footsteps of African-Jamaican ancestors to fierce activism that transforms into a joyful future.
It is a reclamation of nature, space, movement, and music, where joy is no longer denied but fully embodied. She; Through the Wild honours the fight of our ancestors and the pain of our roots, melding them into a fearless, euphoric celebration of freedom and connection. A memorable, inclusive experience of the environment using outdoor live performance, brought to you by Keneish Dance.
Use the filters below to explore what’s on over the three days.
FINDING THE FESTIVAL
Birmingham Settlement Nature & Wellbeing Centre, Edgbaston Reservoir, 79 Selwyn Road, Ladywood, Birmingham, B16 0SL
Find out more about the Neighbourhood Futures Festival
LEARN MOREWITH THANKS TO OUR 2026 FESTIVAL SPONSORS
We are very grateful to our 2026 festival sponsors for helping us to make the festival happen: Ladywood Network Neighbourhood Scheme, Severn Trent Water, CIVIC SQUARE and The Bell Group for their generous support.
Birmingham Settlement Sports & Community Centre
Birmingham Settlement Nature & Wellbeing Centre
Edgbaston Reservoir, 79 Selwyn Road, Birmingham, B16 OSL.
natureandwellbeing@bsettlement.org.uk
0121 250 0771
Birmingham Settlement Money Advice Centre
Unit 2, 1st Floor, Alma House Newtown Shopping Centre, Birmingham, B19 2AB.
money.advice@bsettlement.org.uk
0121 250 0777
Training & Learning
© Birmingham Settlement | Charity Registration Number: 517303