Birming-Strong • Our Story. Our Contribution.
Birmingham made the music. We helped shape the culture. Now let’s tell the story.
Help us celebrate Birmingham’s reggae heritage — and the people who made it.
Community voices
A story of creativity, community, enterprise, resistance and belonging
From the first sounds of Jamaican music finding a home in Birmingham to the reggae, sound system, dancehall and urban music cultures that still reverberate around the world, this is a story of creativity, community, enterprise, resistance and belonging.
It is told through musicians and sound system operators, promoters and producers, record-shop owners and venue managers, community pioneers and entrepreneurs. But it is also the story of the people who bought the records, filled the dancehalls, travelled to the festivals, danced until dawn and carried the music into the next generation.
Birming-Strong: Our Story, Our Contribution is a heritage project led by Simmer Down Arts CIC, celebrating the musical heritage of Birmingham and its contribution to British and global culture.
With your help, we are bringing those stories together — preserving memories, recognising overlooked contributions and making sure the people who made this history are part of telling it.
What we’re gathering
Historical Photographs
Images from Birmingham and the West Midlands, bringing the past into view.
Oral Histories
Voices from the past and present that bring our stories to life.
Archival Documents
Stories written, saved, and shared for future generations.
Creative Works
Art, music, and expressions of our culture and creativity.
With thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Birming-Strong: Our Story, Our Contribution is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We are grateful to the Fund and National Lottery players for helping us celebrate, preserve and share Birmingham’s rich cultural heritage, making space for community voices and enabling these stories to be passed on to future generations.
Their support helps us do more than remember the past. It enables us to investigate it, question it, celebrate it and bring people together around the heritage we share.
Thank you to everyone who plays the National Lottery and helps make projects like Birming-Strong possible.
Get involved
Photos, memorabilia, an interview, a few hours of your time — there are lots of ways to help. Tell us how and we’ll be in touch.