Art4Nature Project Mission:

To create artwork, community action, habitat, local history and lasting change.

COVID-19 Update: This project will be relaunched on 1st October2020

This project is open to everyone across the city of Birmingham!

All you need is a camera, or phone that can take photos.

To get involved, simply visit one or more of the green spaces included in this project, and then take the photos that you feel capture their beauty. You can submit a maximum of two images for each green space, so take plenty of photos and then get your friends and family involved to help you decide on which ones to submit.

All entries are to be submitted via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 30th April 2020 (the deadline has been extended so as to capture early signs of Spring and to allow more people to get involved). Please include "Art4Nature Birmingham" in the title of your email and clearly state where each photo was taken.

A panel of judges will then look at all entries submitted and select one photo for each of the 10 green spaces.

All photos submitted will be displayed at a special public event to celebrate each green space and its wildlife. Everyone who has submitted photos will be acknowledged at these events.

The 10 photos selected by the judges will be used in the second part of the project. 

Between now and 30th April 2020, the people of Birmingham will also be invited to choose their favourite birds and butterflies, that are seen in the local area. A poll will be launched soon that will include 80 bird species and around 30 butterfly species for you to choose from.

Our Team4Nature Birmingham partner, artist Steve Lilly, will create a piece of artwork, based on the selected photo for each green space. The series of 10 pieces of artwork will also feature portraits of Birmingham's favourite 10 birds and butterflies.

Once the ten pieces of artwork have been created, an online auction platform will be launched for each one. Bidding will be open on the original artwork, together with a small number of special edition commemorative reproductions. Steve Lilly will also be offering a range of Art4Nature material for general sale, based on the original artwork.

All auction proceeds (net of any art commission), plus a percentage of ongoing reproduction work sales will be used to help fund specific projects at the green spaces aimed at bird and butterfly conservation.

A second public event will then take place, near each green space, to announce the bird and butterfly conservation projects, close the auction and announce the amount raised for the projects. This will be a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of nature and green spaces.

There will be other events, during the life of this project. For example, there will be a sponsored walk, linking all 10 green spaces, and also sponsored bird watches and butterfly counts, engaging local businesses, community groups, schools and places of worship.

Some of the 10 green spaces, included in this project already have a community “friends” group attached to them. In these cases the Art4Nature project aims to increase membership, participation and resources for the groups. Where there isn’t a community group linked to a green space, this project aims to lead to the creation of one, linked to the Birmingham Open Spaces Forum (BOSF).

The Legacy of Art4Nature

Art really does have the power to change the world for good.

This project can make local history, by creating 10 areas of positive community energy across the city of Birmingham, centred on locations, where 10 members of the public took pictures in 2019.

The positive outcomes from the Art4Nature project can be recorded on 10 commemorative interpretation panels, sited where the photographers created their images, and celebrating local business, local community, local nature, and local talent.

The positive energy created by this project will not fade. Indeed Art4Nature has the potential to continue working across the city of Birmingham. 5 other projects will be rolled out around each of the 10 green spaces:

• Schools4Nature Clubs
• Gardens4Nature Networks
• Business4Nature Forums
• Faith4Nature
• Therapy4Nature Wellbeing Networks

10 Team4Nature networks across Birmingham will continue to bring groups, organisations and individuals together to build on the legacy of Art4Nature.

The Art4Nature Green Spaces

One green space has been selected in each of the constituencies across the city of Birmingham. You can submit 2 photos for each green space, meaning that you can submit a maximum of 20 photos.

These green spaces have been mapped by our UK partner TiCL Media Limited, who will be providing an interactive platform for this project.

Allens Cross Park (Birmingham Northfield constituency)

Bleak Hill Recreation Ground (Birmingham Erdington constituency)

Bordesley Green Allotments (Birmingham Hodge Hill constituency) This site is not open to the general public. All access for the purpose of this project will be arranged by Team4Nature liaising with the Bordesley Green Allotments committee.

Chinn Brook Recreation Ground (Birmingham Selly Oak constituency)

Queens Park (Birmingham Edgbaston constituency)

New Hope Community Park (Birmingham Ladywood constituency)

Queslett Nature Reserve (Birmingham Perry Barr constituency)

Rectory Park (Sutton Coldfield constituency)

Small Heath Park (Birmingham Yardley constituency)

Sparkhill Park (Birmingham Hall Green constituency)

So! What are you waiting for? Grab your photography equipment, get out and have healthy green space fun in the sun! Who knows? Your photograph might just create a bit of local history, whilst helping to protect nature and Birmingham's green lungs along the way?

We can't wait to see your entries!

The Art4Nature team is made up of individuals and organisations that are coming together to create initiatives that will connect more people with nature across the city of Birmingham. In addition, our UK partner, Midland Regional Printers is a key supporter of this project, driven by their passion for nature and the environment.

The Art4Nature team comprises:

Birmingham Open Spaces Forum - a volunteer network organisation bringing together all the people of Birmingham with an interest in the city's open spaces.

Bordesley Green Allotment Society - creating a blue-print for the creation of community nature reserves within allotments.

Evergreen Insurance - a Team4Nature UK partner that will also be contributing to the butterfly conservation projects. This income flow will be based on a percentage of brokerage commissions earned on policies activated through our unique sales telephone number and website links, dedicated to this project.

Highfield Hall Community Centre - an amazing community hub that will serve as a friendly headquarters for the Art4Nature project. This community group are also incorporating more wildlife-friendly features into their wonderful grounds and premises.

Homes For Bugs - a local new-start, aiming to build a happier, healthier, more connected world... one bug house at a time!

Jessops - Birmingham - the team, based at Temple Row are on a mission to help connect more people with green spaces and nature across the city! As well as printing the Art4Nature project photos, Jessops are creating an in-store Team4Nature board to display the Art4Nature project, monthly photographic competitions and green space photography work shops.

Meadow In My Garden - a Team4Nature UK partner that will be contributing to the butterfly conservation projects by offering customers a discount code that also reserves a percentage of the sales order value, for this project.

Rebecca Bailey - of Rebecca's Butterfly Farm. our wonderful young ambassador for the project.

Ruth Peacey - an amazing film producer who, amongst other things, directed David Attenborough's Planet Earth II for the BBC. Ruth will be producing a short film that will include the Art4Nature project.

Steve Lilly - an award-winning Birmingham artist, whose work is becoming very collectable, with many of his works in private collections.

Team4Nature - creating 10 local networks across Birmingham, one in each parliamentary constituency to bring business, community and nature together for a better world.

TiCL - creators of a fantastic App that will map the Art4Nature project and serve as a community resource for connecting more people to their local green spaces.

West Midlands Bird Club - another Team4Nature partner that is on a mission to champion urban bird watching and connect more people to local green spaces and their birdlife.

We are also working closely with the Birmingham City Council Rangers Team and hope that the Art4Nature project and its legacy will connect more people to the city's green spaces.