Balsall Heath Second Saturday

Monthly creative festival

Author: R T

  • SHOF at The MIX Cafe. 10am-6.30pm, OPW

    Come experience the authentic, mouthwatering flavours of the Levant!

    Newly opened at the MIX Cafe, SHOF serves delicious Syrian food including falafels, healthy salads, fresh pastries and refreshing drinks.

    Open Monday – Saturday, 10am-6.30pm

  • Black British Book Festival workshop with Kemi Emmanuel. 11am-12.30pm, Lower Gallery, OPW

    Join Kemi Emmanuel for Storytelling Secrets: A guide to writing compelling children’s stories.

    Created to help writers understand what makes a children’s story engaging, meaningful and memorable.

    This event is organised by the Black British Book Festival. Selina Brown, Founder and CEO is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works and the founder of the Black British Book Festival and the inaugural National Reading Hero recipient of the Queen’s Reading Room Medal. Her Penguin picture book My Rice is Best has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards 2026, The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2026 and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2026.

    This is a free event, supported by The Old Print Works. Please consider making a donation here.

  • Mini flag making with Friends. 11am-2pm, Lower Gallery, OPW

    Join the Friends of the Friends Institute, Balsall Heath for a free creative textiles workshop, making mini flags to highlight the importance of local heritage buildings.

    Using recycled materials, colourful textiles and trims, participants can create a pennant flag to can take home.

    The workshop aims to raise awareness of the Friends Institute at a time when its preservation and future use is undecided.

    Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

  • Period Power! with Jane Thakoordin. 11am-2pm, Textiles Space, Upper Gallery, OPW

    Join artist Jane Thakoordin, The Nairoshi Foundation UK and feminist activist collective Women Together, to create a supply of hand-crafted sanitary pads for a girls’ school in Kenya. 

    Working alongside activists in Kenya, we are creating period packs, with love, for all the older girls in the school.

    No experience needed and all materials provided.

    Any donations of clean bath and hand towels gratefully received.

    Venue: Daily Thread community textiles space, Upper Gallery. Please note this space is accessed via a staircase and unfortunately we do not currently have a lift.

    Jane Thakoordin is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

  • Write for Rights with local Amnesty International B14, B13, B12 group. 11am-3pm, OPW

    Come and join your local Amnesty International group to send a message of hope to those who have been denied their rights.

    Amnesty International has a long tradition of writing letters to help prisoners and campaign on their behalf through petitions and simply by writing letters to show support. Please come along to our drop in Write for Rights workshop if you would like to find out more about our work and if you want to join our letter writing activities. We will focus on campaigns relating to current political prisoners including the case of Lina Atallah, editor in chief of the independent media outlet, Mada Masr, recently convicted by an Egyptian court. 

    Members of Amnesty International B14, B13, B12 group will be there with our letter writing kit and to answer any questions. 

  • Retrofit Balsall Heath Annual General Meeting. 10am-12pm, MIX Cafe, OPW

    Join us to celebrate everything Retrofit Balsall Heath has achieved this year, and look ahead to the next stage of our shared journey.

    Come and enjoy drinks and tasty refreshments from ChangeKitchen CIC, find out more about retrofit in our neighbourhood and meet others working for positive change in Balsall Heath.

    Everyone welcome! 

    Book your free place: https://events.humanitix.com/retrofit-balsall-heath-agm

  • Beyond the Margins: Stories That Stay. 11am-4pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    After months of creating, exploring and sharing, Beyond the Margins is proud to present Stories That Stay – our end of programme showcase, celebrating the creativity, voices and journeys of the young people who have taken part in this year’s programme. Organised by Inspire Hub.

    Join us at The Old Print Works for a welcoming afternoon of art, storytelling and community as our exhibiting artists share work that holds personal meaning to them. From culturally significant traditions and heritage, to identity, belonging, memory, resistance and self-expression, every piece tells a story worth hearing.

    Whether you’re passionate about the arts or simply curious, we’d love for you to come along, explore the exhibition and celebrate these powerful young voices.

    Here’s what you can enjoy:

    Explore our storytelling exhibition
    Try our Poetry Prescription activity and take home a little healing
    Contribute to a collaborative community artwork
    Take home a Polaroid memory
    Arts & crafts table for children
    Free refreshments from 11am

    You can also take part in a free zine making workshop with illustrator Layla Sadiq (1.30-3pm). More information here.

    Bring your friends, bring your family, or come on your own—everyone is welcome. Come and discover the stories that stay with us long after we leave.

    📍 The Old Print Works, B12 9AH
    🗓️ 8th August 2026, 11am–4pm
    🎟️ Free drop-in exhibition

  • Children’s Author Session: My Rice Is Best with Selina Brown. 11am-12.30pm, Courtyard/Lower Gallery, OPW

    Rice and peas or jollof rice?

    The great rice debate is coming to Second Saturday at The Old Print Works.

    Join award-shortlisted children’s author Selina Brown for a fun, joyful children’s session based on her hilarious picture book My Rice is Best.

    There’ll be a lively story reading, arts and crafts, a chance for children to ask Selina questions, and books available to buy on the day.

    Expect big laughs, bold opinions and plenty of children shouting about which rice is really the best.

    Free to attend — all children welcome.

    Saturday 11th July 2026 at The Old Print Works,  498-506 Moseley Road in Balsall Heath, B12 9AH,
    11am–12.30pm

    My Rice is Best  follows Shane, who knows that rice and peas is the best rice in the world — until his friend Yinka turns up with jollof rice and starts a delicious showdown.

    A funny, warm and colourful celebration of food, friendship, culture and pride.

    Selina Brown is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works and the founder of the Black British Book Festival and the inaugural National Reading Hero recipient of the Queen’s Reading Room Medal. Her Penguin picture book My Rice is Best has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards 2026, The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2026 and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2026.

  • Mexican Nicho Boxes Workshop with ITZATNA Arts. 11am-3pm,Studio ITZATNA, Upper Gallery, OPW

    Join ITZATNA Arts at Balsall Heath Second Saturday (inside Studio ITZATNA) for a hands-on workshop for families with children aged 5+.

    Together you’ll build your own ‘Nicho’ –  a small, colourful shadow box that sits at the heart of Mexican folk art and household altars during Mexican Day of the Dead.

    Workshop times:
    – 11am to 12pm
    – 1 to 2pm 
    – 2 to 3pm 

    Nicho boxes are tiny portable shrines made from little wooden or cardboard boxes layered with photographs, paper, flowers, found objects and figures, each one holds a memory, a story or a prayer. Rooted in Mexican tradition and made for the home, they’re a beautiful way for families to create something together that tells the story of their departed loved ones.

    In this drop-in workshop you’ll be guided through:

    • Choosing a theme for your ‘nicho‘: a memory, a family member, a favourite place, or something from your imagination
    • Layering colour, texture and recycled materials to build your scene
    • Adding the finishing touches that make each box unique

    Every family takes home their own finished nicho. No experience needed! All materials provided, just bring your imagination.

    All children must be accompanied by a participating adult at all times.

    Please note this space is accessed via a staircase and unfortunately we do not currently have a lift.

    This is a free event, supported by The Old Print Works. Please consider making a donation here.

    ITZATNA Arts are a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

  • Each Child a Light Exhibition. 9am-7pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    From 12 – 14 June, Each Child a Light is working in partnership with the Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement to present an exhibition of the quilt alongside a programme of events at The Old Print Works.

    Inspired by radical traditions of quilting and fabric arts, Each Child a Light aims to make visible the scale of the ongoing atrocity in Gaza, creating a space to mark, to mourn and to bear witness. Stitching each child’s name is an act of solidarity, of remembrance, mourning, and kinship – and importantly, counters erasure. In collaboration, and square by square, our quilt will create an essential record and lasting memorial to so many young lives lost. Together we will remember.

    Exhibition Opening hours:
    Upper Gallery (Entry via the Front Entrance)
    Friday 12th: 9am – 5pm
    Saturday 13th: 9am – 7pm
    Sunday 14th: 9am – 2pm
    Free entry. *Please note there is no lift access to the Upper Gallery.

    Creative workshop led by artist Jane Thakoordin
    Saturday 13 June, 11.30am–1pm
    This is a free event but booking is essential

    Panel Discussion ‘Conversations around the Quilt’
    Saturday 13 June, 1.30–3pm
    This is a free event and no booking required

  • Darkroom Birmingham Open Day. 11am-4pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    As the renovation of Darkroom Birmingham nears completion, join the team for analogue and digital portrait adventures, to book early-bird workshop and darkroom access offers, and to have your say in shaping the facilities.

    Darkroom Birmingham is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

  • DIY Home Energy Solutions with Community Energy Birmingham. 11am-4pm, Lower Gallery, OPW

    This workshop, led by Community Energy Birmingham, gives people hands on experience installing home energy efficiency measures. Funded by Central Co-Op.

  • Banner making workshop with WMPSC. 11am-4pm, Lower Gallery, OPW

    Join a free workshop to design banners for West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign (WMPSC). They will also be promoting their upcoming events and produce from Palestine.

    This session is free, please consider making a donation here.

  • Seeing Rhonda Exhibition + Zine making Workshop. 11am-4pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    The work, activism and far-reaching influence of Birmingham photographer Rhonda Wilson are being brought back into the spotlight through an exhibition titled Seeing Rhonda and a community archive led by Birmingham City University and The Old Print Works.

    Together, the exhibition and archive span over three decades of Wilson’s work, from the 1980s to the 2010s. Photographs, letters, posters and publications sit alongside personal notes, sketches and overlooked ephemera, revealing not just what Wilson created, but how she worked, collaborated and built opportunities for others. Seeing Rhonda presents Wilson as more than a photographer; as a cultural entrepreneur, journalist, educator and activist, she spent over 30 years championing others and reshaping the photography landscape in Birmingham and beyond. Wilson’s constructed social documentary style of photography was underpinned by her commitment to addressing issues of women’s representation, low pay and homelessness.

    The project was initiated by Dr Annette Naudin, Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, in partnership with The Old Print Works and in collaboration with PRISM Photography Network. This exhibition is supported by Birmingham City University and The Old Print Works.

    Opening times (free entry):
    Saturday 12 September, 11am-4pm. Presented as part of Birmingham Heritage Week.

    Location:
    Upper Gallery, The Old Print Works
    Please note access is via a number of stairs and The Old Print Works does not have a lift.

    Workshop:
    Drop in for a fun, hands-on zine making workshop based on the Seeing Rhonda exhibition. We will make mini-booklets known as ‘zines’, using collage and drawing. All materials provided and suitable for all ages.

    This is a free exhibition, please consider making a donation here.

    Photo: Archive material, Rhonda Wilson community archive. Image courtesy The Old Print Works.

  • Balsall Heath in Changing Times Exhibition. 11am-4pm, The MIX Cafe, OPW

    Balsall Heath Local History Society presents a pop-up display from their exhibition Balsall Heath in Changing Times in The MIX Cafe.

    The display is shown alongside a free creative activity, supported by The Old Print Works, please consider making a donation here.

    The exhibition celebrates the history of the local area: showcasing Mick Turner’s photographs, archive images and interviews with local people. The years 1960 to the 1990s saw a transformation in Balsall Heath. Many migrants moved in to the area, and some long established residents were compulsorily rehoused elsewhere as whole streets were demolished. Meanwhile the area was in decline with uncleared bomb sites from the Second World War, poor housing, high unemployment, appalling health statistics, poverty and a major prostitution problem.

    This was also a time of new opportunities, new organisations and new ideas. There was growing dynamism and hope as the groundwork was laid for the thriving multi-cultural community of today’s Balsall Heath.

    The Mick Turner Archive of photographic images is a vast collection of images, thousands of which were published in the Balsall Heathan through this time.  We will use these images as a starting point to understand Balsall Heath through the eyes of people who have lived there.

    Balsall Heath Local History Society is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

    Photo: Mick Turner

  • Film makeup workshop with Bloody JoJo. 12-3pm, Lower Gallery (OPW)

    Join film and television makeup artist Bloody JoJo for a fun workshop where you’ll learn how to make a realistic bruise for film!

    Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

    JoJo is a film and television makeup artist known for her work across a range of genre. She has worked on over 30 productions, including films and television series for Disney, Warner Brothers and Marvel. Specialising in prosthetics and practical makeup effects, JoJo has made a career in the independent horror film industry, bringing creatures to life and all things blood and gore!

    This is a free event, supported by The Old Print Works. Please consider making a donation here.

    Sundragon Pottery are a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

  • Sketching workshop with Midy. 11.30am-2.30pm, Director’s Office (Courtyard), OPW

    Join local artist Muhmood Tahir (Midy) for a free drop in workshop and have a go at sketching, inspired by the wonderful imagery of Mick Turner’s photographs of Balsall Heath, on display in the Balsall Heath in Changing Times exhibition. Workshop and exhibition organised by Balsall Heath Local History Society.

    Midy will be on hand to help out offering tips, support and all the materials you need to make your own masterpiece!

    Drop in. Workshop open to all ages.

    This session is free, please consider making a donation here.

    Balsall Heath Local History Society is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

    Image: artwork by Muhmood Tahir (Midy)

  • Believe in Balsall Heath Celebration. 12-2pm, MIAH Gallery, 496 Moseley Road

    Join us at MIAH to celebrate the launch of Balsall Heath’s new street banners designed by artist Faisal Hussain, marking the culmination of the Believe in Balsall Heath project.

    The five banner designs celebrate the people, stories and culture of Balsall Heath, bringing local heritage and creativity into the streets of the neighbourhood.

    Meet Faisal and hear about the inspiration behind his designs, and enjoy music from the Oriental Star Agencies collection as we come together to celebrate the project and the community it represents.

    📅 Saturday 12 September | 12–2pm
    📍 MIAH Foundation Islamic Arts & Heritage Gallery
    496 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, B12 9AH
    🎟️ Free | Booking required

    Book here or scan the QR Code.

    Believe in Balsall Heath is funded by Birmingham City Council and brings together The Old Print Works, MIAH Foundation, The GAP Arts Project, Fruit & Nut Village and Balsall Heath Local History Society to celebrate the history, heritage and creativity of Balsall Heath.

  • Balsall Heath Local History Society. 11am-4pm, Lower Gallery/Courtyard, OPW

    Meet members of the Balsall Heath Local History Society and learn about their project Balsall Heath in Changing Times and the relaunched local newsletter The Heathan.

    Balsall Heath Local History Society is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

  • ChangeKitchen CIC. 12-4pm, The MIX Cafe

    ChangeKitchen CIC will be doing a Cafe Takeover and running The Mix Community Cafe at The Old Print Works.

    Open 12-4pm, serving artisan drinks and ethical, climate-friendly food that’s yummy, and does more good across our communities.

  • Balsall Heath City Farm Open Day. 11am-4pm, St Paul’s Community Trust

    Visit Balsall Heath City Farm for a family fun day, with stalls, refreshments, sheep shearing, bouncy castle, animals, plant sale and more!

    11am -4pm, £50p donation

    They raising funds to support the Farm and help cover the rising costs of animal feed, bedding and vets’ bills.

  • Pedal Powered Energy Workshop. 10am-4pm, Transfer Co-Working, Upper Floor, OPW

    As part of Birmingham Permaculture Network Weekender, learn how to make a bike powered generator, for sound systems, device charging and more. Led by Rakesh Rootsman Rak.

    Reserve a space here.

    This workshop is free, please consider making a donation here.

  • Risograph Printing with Print and Matter. 11am-4pm, MIAH Gallery, 496 Moseley Road

    Join artist Sofia Niazi from Print and Matter for a Risograph workshop at MIAH Gallery (11am-1pm, £10) or a private print slot (2-4pm, 30 min slots, £10 technician fee + cost of print job).

    Book here.

    Sofia Niazi is a Studio Partner at The Old Print Works.

  • Change Kitchen pop up cafe. 11am-4pm, The MIX cafe

    Change Kitchen CIC take over the MIX cafe at The Old Print Works for a pop up as part of Balsall Heath Second Saturday on 11 April.

  • Community Photography Exhibition, 11am-4pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    Photographer Laura Gale: Druids Heath

    The Old Print Works hosts a Community Photography Exhibition, organised in partnership with PRISM, Darkroom Birmingham and IGERS Birmingham.

    Photographers were asked to submit up to 3 digital images focussing on the theme ‘Community’ and over 75 photographers submitted their images.

    This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

  • Each Child a Light Creative Workshop. 11.30am-1pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    Join artists Jane Thakoordin and Fiona Bailey for a creative workshop to accompany the Each Child a Light Exhibition at The Old Print Works.

    Design and make your own decorative square honouring and remembering a child killed in Gaza. Your completed work will be stitched into the growing quilt alongside others already made by hundreds of people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience including artists, crafters, community and faith groups, children and students.

    Free, but please register here as spaces are limited.
    All materials provided and open to everyone over the age of 14.

  • Swiss Darning with Daily Thread. 12-2.30pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    In this workshop you will master Swiss Darning, a clever way that mimics knitted stitches to make holes and thin patches disappear.

    This session is taught by @knitwithu – a BCU textiles student specialising in knit – arrive as a beginner and leave as a pro!

    You will learn how to repair your knits like an expert, giving you the skills to fight fast fashion by making your clothes last longer. We provide all the needles, colourful yarns, and practice fabric you need, so you can walk out with a more sustainable wardrobe and the confidence to keep your favourite sweaters in great shape for years to come.

    Tickets cost £4 full price / £3 concessions.

    Please book here.

    This workshop takes place in Daily Thread, the community textiles space at The Old Print Works. Please note this space is located on the first floor and only accessible via a number of stairs.

  • Arts and Crafts with Right to Remain. 1-4pm. Lower Gallery, OPW

    Join Right to Remain for a family-focused arts and crafts session in the lead up to the National Week of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention (18-25 October). 

    Every day, people are detained under immigration powers in the UK and taken away from their families and communities. People are held indefinitely, sometimes not knowing where they are being taken to, often not knowing when they will be released.Every time someone is detained, families, neighbours, friends, and support groups rally to provide care, rebuild stability, and keep fighting for justice.

    Art can become a form of solidarity, and create a space to make hard topics feel a little bit easier. This session will try to find ways to share messages of love, support and solidarity through creative writing, printing and collaging. 

    This is an open session held between 1-4pm and is suitable for children and adults. Please come along to say hello, learn more about our work and create with us!

    Right to Remain is a registered charity (charity number 1192934). Right to Remain works with communities, groups and organisations across the UK. We provide information, resources, training and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain. We challenge injustice in the immigration and asylum system.

  • Local Climate Fair with People’s Emergency Briefing. 1.30-4pm, Upper Gallery, OPW

    Join Balsall Heath People’s Emergency Briefing for a community event on climate issues – meet local groups and individuals; build our community spirit; and share information and ideas.

    Including: adapting to climate change; community support; nature conservation; activism and campaigning.

    Stallholders include:
    – Bahu Trust
    – ChangeKitchen CIC
    – Balsall Heath People’s Emergency Briefing

    Please note this event is located in the Upper Gallery, accessed via a number of stairs and unfortunately we do not currently have a lift.

  • Waffle Poetry. 1-3pm, The Transfer co-working space, OPW

    Join us in the Chatty Room of The Transfer for Waffle Poetry – a space dedicated to talking all things poetry!

    Bring a poem from another writer that you like (or dislike!) and waffle away in creative discourse as we discover new voices and fresh perspectives.

    Places are free, please book here.

    Please note this space is accessed via a staircase and unfortunately we do not currently have a lift.