About this Event
The Neighbourhood Futures Festival is a three-day, community-powered celebration of nature, creativity and connection at the Nature & Wellbeing Centre in the heart of Birmingham!
Brought to life by Birmingham Settlement and over 40 local partners, you'll discover a unique urban festival in a beautiful green oasis beside Edgbaston Reservoir.
Saturday's Play & Discovery Day is a fun, welcoming day of free activities for children, young people and adults. Expect:
- Family-friendly activities throughout the day
- Creative workshops, arts and crafts
- Nature-based learning and discovery
- Outdoor play and games
- Live performances and entertainment
- Community stalls and local organisations
- Food and refreshments available from the Red Shed Community Café
- Opportunities to meet local groups and get involved in your community
What's On - Saturday: Play & Discovery at the Reservoir!
A day full of energy, creativity & fun! Join us for a vibrant day by the reservoir, packed with playful performances, hands-on activities, and joyful moments for everyone.
For the full schedule including timings click here (coming soon).
🦋 Nature Navigators - explore the Overnight Moth Trap to discover our nocturnal festival visitors, then get hands-on with pond dipping.
🧘♀️Try Family Yoga – a gentle, playful session to move together in nature.
🎶Our Reservoir amphitheatre transforms into an opera house! Raise your voice in this fun, inclusive singalong led by Birmingham Opera Company, featuring music inspired by nature and caring for our planet.
🎪 Be amazed by award-winning contemporary circus company RoguePlay with a spectacular aerial theatre performance and workshop for all ages.
💃 Experience She:Through the Wild with Keneish Dance – an uplifting interactive dance experience rooted in African-Jamaican dance traditions and music.
🍵Brew stories, songs and nature wisdom with Secret City Arts – create a herbal woodland brew, share stories and music, and contribute to a growing Urban Forest artwork.
🎨 Get creative with Centrala – make colourful garden decorations, bird feeders and fridge magnets using recycled and eco-friendly materials.
🎵 Sing along with C-Choir – Enjoy a lively performance of songs from musicals and beyond, celebrating the joy of community and singing together.
🌳Chill among the trees in the nature zone, enjoy nature play and outdoor creativity in Roots Forest School.
🎧 Dance like no-one is watching at the Off-Grid Silent Disco! Enjoy a unique outdoor party powered by people and green energy.
🔨 Join Newbigin Trust for a festival takeover! Hands-on heritage crafts including blacksmithing demos, clay making and sewing.
🧘 Try a wellbeing session – From mindfulness and Tai Chi to Reiki and yoga, take a moment to recharge in the Off Grid zone surrounded by trees and birdong.
📖 Gather round for stories with Loudeemy in Roots & Tales – playful, intergenerational storytelling celebrating family memories and childhood adventures.
🏮 Paint a lantern with Sampad and add your creativity to the festival! Design and decorate your own colourful lantern inspired by nature, community and brighter futures.
🖼️ Get arty with the Barber Institute community team – drop-in to create a collage inspired by nature and the environment.
🧵 Stitch & Connect – Drop into the Wellbeing Tent with artist Tina Francis. Share stories and add your stitches to a growing community artwork celebrating our neighbourhood.
🌱 Co-design a community garden in the Geodome! Share your ideas for greener futures and help create a collaborative artwork from found and recycled materials that will grow and evolve throughout the festival.
✂️ Sew & Make – turn recycled fabric into something useful and unique in this relaxed, beginner-friendly sewing session.
⚽ Sports, games and outdoor fun on the festival field all day! Join in classic games and don't miss our inaugural Festival Tug of War - can the kids beat the grown-ups?!
🌱 Get hands-on with planting and growing workshops – pick up practical skills, sow something new and discover how anyone can bring more nature into urban life.
🤝 Explore the Community Marketplace – meet local organisations and community groups making a difference across Ladywood and beyond.
🍴 Grab a bite to eat from the Red Shed Café and take time to connect, create and celebrate in our beautiful festival setting beside Edgbaston Reservoir.
🌍 Learn about Birmingham Settlement's journey and how you can help care for green spaces, develop practical skills and be part of local action for climate and nature.
Explore all 3 days of the Neighbourhood Futures Festival here.
Who is it for?
Saturday Family Day is open to EVERYONE!
Whether you're a family looking for a fun day out, a local resident wanting to connect with your community, or simply someone interested in nature, creativity and wellbeing, there's something for you to enjoy.
Activities will be suitable for a range of ages, with opportunities for children, young people and adults to take part throughout the day.
About Birmingham Settlement charity
Birmingham Settlement is one of the city’s oldest charities, supporting communities since 1899. Founded by social reformers outraged by the poverty of the19th century, our early work focused on women and families in the deprived St Mary’s area, now known as Newtown.
Today, our work is much broader to meet the changing needs of Birmingham’s communities. Whether its ising living costs, cuts to local services and increased inequality, our work helps people when they need it most - providing advice, opportunities, and welcoming spaces where no one has to go it alone.
About the Nature & Wellbeing Centre next to Edgbaston Reservoir
In 2021, Birmingham Settlement began transforming a three-acre green space beside Edgbaston Reservoir. It has since become our Nature & Wellbeing Centre - a safe, accessible and inclusive green space for nature, social connection, and improving community wellbeing.
Facilities include a warm and welcoming Community Café (fondly known as the ‘Red Shed’), two geodesic learning domes for nature connection, an amphitheatre for arts and performance, community composting, grow plots and open green space for physical activity and play.
Everyone can enjoy and be part of our community, with a particular focus on Ladywood and North Edgbaston and serving communities that lack access to safe green space, that are isolated, facing financial challenges, and with physical and/or mental health needs.
Our unique spaces can also be hired for community and corporate events.
We always keep our activities and events free so they are accessible for everyone. If you are able to make a small donation to our charity to help keep the festival open to all and to support care of our site, we would really appreciate it.
Partners & sponsors
The Neighbourhood Futures Festival is delivered in partnership with many other passionate, environmentally-conscious organisations, community groups, artists, educators, and wellbeing providers. Their contributions help us provide free activities, workshops and experiences for local residents and families.
We would like to thank our 2026 supporters and sponsors, including:
• )
• Bell Group
• Severn Trent
We're also grateful to the many community groups, artists, volunteers, educators and organisations who contribute their time, skills and expertise to help make the festival possible.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Birmingham Settlement Nature & Wellbeing Centre - Ladywood, 79 Selwyn Road, Birmingham, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
