Free city nature festival in 'idyllic green oasis'

The festival, organised by charity Birmingham Settlement, is now in its third year

A free four day festival is coming to Birmingham, with the aim of boosting residents' connection with nature.

Birmingham Settlement Nature & Wellbeing Centre is hosting the event next to Edgbaston Reservoir - described by organisers as an "idyllic green oasis" - from Thursday until Sunday.

Guests can arrive from 10:00 BST to enjoy talks, workshops and interactive sessions on the city's green spaces - as well as a community picnic and community litter pick.

The third annual Neighbourhood Futures Festival is free and tickets can be booked online, with its main aim of bringing communities together.

Sunny Khosla, who runs mental health support group Raising Voices, is set to stage a showcase over the weekend.

Speaking about the importance of the event, he said: "It's a great way to connect with nature in an idyllic green oasis, right in the heart of the city.

"It's four days packed full and it's a way for young people to remember how to socialise without screens.

"A lot of important work happens there, it brings a lot of communities together an it's a lovely area to have a great day and get in touch with yourself and the neighbourhood."

Each day there are events running from 10:00 BST to 17:00, with the full itinerary listed below.

Thursday 26 June

• 10:00 - 10:30 - Morning Yoga on the Field, Coffee & Conversation

• 10:30 - 12:00 - Opening Panel: Neighbourhood Climates - Stories from Birmingham's Futures

• 12:00 - 13:30 - Lunch & Reflect - Time to Reflect, Absorb, and Unwind in Nature

• 12:00 - 13:30 - Conversation Corner with Birmingham Friends of the Earth. Write a Postcard to Nature, yoga, mindfulness in nature sessions

• 13:00 - 16:00 - Neighbourhood FutureLabs - Take a Deeper Dive into Neighbourhood Climates

• 16:00 - 16:30 - Networking, Reflections, Conversation & Coffee

• 16:30 - 17:30 - Closing Fire Ceremony: a community gathering where people come together to share ideas and stories.

Guests can expect a full itinerary of workshops, performances and relaxation

Friday 27 June

• 10:00 - 10:30 - Run to the Rezza: A run from UoB to the festival. Guests are asked to meet outside Old Joe at 09:30 BST

• 10:30 - Morning Yoga on the Field, Coffee & Conversation

• 10:30 - 11:00 - Mindfulness in Nature Session

• 11:00 - 12:30 - Opening Youth Panel: This panel talk will explore how young people are experiencing a range of urban challenges from a panel of young advocates across Birmingham

• 12:30 - 15:00 - Community Picnic, Connect & Craft

• 12:00 - 14:00 - Birmingham Mind Wellbeing Session: A themed wellbeing session on how to cope with feelings of depression and anxiety

• 12:30 - 13:00 - National Literacy Trust Reading & Discussion

• 13:00 - 14:00 - A Conversation & Film Screening with Immy Kaur

• 14:00 - 15:00 - Social Life and the Centre for New Midlands

• 15:00 - 16:00 - Round the Rezza Clean-Up - community litter pick

• 16:00 - Round-Up, Gratitude, Reflections

Saturday 28 June

• 10:30 - 11:00 - Little Settlers Yoga

• 11:45 - 12:45 - On Ya Bike! : A short play created by the Women & Theatre group

• 13:00 - 14:00 - Forests Performance: A willow tree, fiery acrobatics and dance feature in this highly-visual family-friendly show

• 13:50 - 14:30 - Opera Sing Along: Birmingham Opera Company will perform a programme of songs and arias

• 14:30 - 15:00 - Brum Beats: Samba Drumming Workshop

• 15:15 - 16:15 - Forests 2 Performance

• 16:00 - 16:30 - Brum Beats: Samba Performance

• 14:30 - 15:30 - The Magical Garden: Drama Adventures: This workshop is suitable for children between the ages of two and eight

• 12:30 - 13:30 - Future Forests Family Workshop: Grow Your Own Climate Solution Tree

Saturday and Sunday's itinerary are full of activities for young children to enjoy

Sunday 29 June

• 11:00 - 13:00 - Sew Sustainable: Make a Tote Bag

• 11:30 - 12:45 - Raising Voices Summer Showcase

• 11:30 - 12:30 - A Rainbow for Amala: Drama Workshop exploring the characters and themes from an interactive storybook about climate change impacts set in Birmingham

• 11:30 - 12:30 - Brazilian Zouk-Lambada Dancing

• 12:00 - 14:00 - Eco-Art & Nature: Creative Connections for Women & Kids

• 13:00 - 14:30 - Scrapyard Sounds: Make a junk instrument

• 13:00 - 14:00 - Meet Sourpuss the Cat

• 13:30 - 15:30 - 5G Poems and Network Stories

• 14:00 - 15:00 - Wind in the Willows

• 14:30 - 16:30 - Generous Waste: A workshop exploring the supply chains behind everyday materials often overlooked

• 15:30 - 16:30 - Birmingham Choir with No Name

• 16:00 - 17:00 - Soundbath in Nature: Relax & Unwind

• 16:30 - 18:00 - The Neighbourhood Open Mic Session