About 'Tamed'

The project is the result of an approach to MADE from the Environment Agency, and is funded by the Arts Council England. The project will facilitate artist engagement with a planned programme of flood defence works in the Witton area of Birmingham. These necessary works contain the opportunity to intergrate with artistic practice to transform the environment and local people’s experience of it. This will be achieved through community-based arts practice, socio-historic research, collaboration between artists, engineers and designers, and the development of public art for the site.

Through Tamed MADE and The Environment Agency will commission and facilitate three artists residencies (ROA, DTA and CAM) to work with communities, engineers and landscape architects as new flood defences and a pedestrian/cycle way are created along the River Tame in Birmingham.

The activities will provide a vehicle to explore the wider context of the works and the story of the River Tame, influencing the design of the flood defences and adding surprising, provocative elements to the engineering structures.

The ‘Tamed’ theme enables creative links to be made between the history of the place, the experience of the community and the purpose of the planned works

THE SITE

The activity will focus on the area between Perry Bridges, Perry Barr and The Atlas Estate Witton - this is one of four separate projects which take forward the recommendations of the Environment Agency’s River Tame Flood Risk Management Strategy. In this area the Environment Agency scheme proposes improving the condition of existing flood defences and providing new ones to fill low spots or gaps in current defences. Along the stretch between Perry Bridges and Tameside Drive the Environment Agency and BCC are proposing to develop a pedestrian/cycle route.