Walking Towards a Second City
Often referred to as England’s second city, Birmingham is generally overshadowed by the grandeur of London, the charm of the countryside, and, with its wonky roads and accents, being the frequent butt of the rest of the country’s jokes. In collaboration with artists from the UK-based Walkspace Collective, the Walk Exchange will explore lower Manhattan through the lens of Birmingham.
While Brummies have lots of cultural imaginaries associated with New York City, New Yorkers likely have fewer of Birmingham. This walk addresses that, exploring lower Manhattan through the eyes of 5 Birmingham-based artists, Josh Allen, Jay Mason Burns, Dan C, Fiona Cullinan and Andrew Howe.
Starting at Wall Street’s Charging Bull––our nod to Birmingham’s Bull Ring and its own bullish sculpture––we will traverse lower Manhattan following the prompts and inspirations of five artists from the Walkspace Collective,. Their artistic inquiries and directives will have us following a map starting from those infamous bulls, and gazing at skyscrapers, exploring the footsteps of Washington Irving and considering the impact of Robert Moses on urban planning along the way.
The walk is free and open to all. We will be deciding the route together and will work as a collective to make the walk accessible to everyone who joins.
Date: 25 May
Starting Location NYC: Bowling Green park (PX3P+XG, New York, NY 10004)
Time: 2 PM, EDT
Length: 90 minutes.
Cost: Free!
For More Information: blakemwalks@gmail.com
Future Walks (2024)
Stay tuned for future exchanges with Walkspace in Birmingham, Soundwalk 2 with the Demolition Project (this time exploring the sounds of London), and a simultaneous walk joining the Loiterer’s Resistance Movement in Manchester as part of their First Sunday Walks. We also have plans for mycology walks and more as the Walk Exchange calendar continues to grow.
If you have questions about access/accommodation please don’t hesitate to message walkexchange@gmail.com. We strive to make our walks as accessible as possible.