Rainbow beamed over Birmingham as 'message of hope'

Global Rainbow artist Yvette Mattern hopes people in Birmingham will "take comfort from the positivity it represents"

A rainbow of light has been beamed across Birmingham as a "message of hope and peace" for the new year.

The laser installation by artist Yvette Mattern could be seen up to 10 miles away, according to the city's Hippodrome venue.

It said it hoped the piece - Global Rainbow - would inspire people after a "challenging 2020".

Birmingham Hippodrome head Fiona Allan said she was "proud" it had done something positive for the city while its door were still closed

Thomas Askew, who shared his image of the installation on Twitter, said it was a "beautiful sight" over the city.

Graham Callister, the Hippodrome's director of festivals, said: "After such a challenging 2020, we hope that those who have been able to experience Global Rainbow have been inspired to take a moment to pause and reflect and look toward 2021 with hope and peace."

He said it was important people in the area, which is under tier four restrictions, did not travel to see it.

"The joy of this special visual artwork is that it can be seen safely from the homes of those living nearby by simply looking to the sky," he said.

Thomas Askew enjoyed seeing the lights over Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery

Ms Mattern created the work in 2009 and it has been seen around the world, including in New York and Sao Paulo.

"I hope those in Birmingham and the Black Country who saw Global Rainbow enjoyed the experience and will take comfort from the positivity it represents as we head into 2021," she said.

Rainbows have been seen as a symbol of hope during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amanda Chan saw the laser lights, which are beamed from the city's Rotunda building, from the Jewellery Quarter

Rainbows have been seen as a symbol of hope during the pandemic