Birmingham venue Millennium Point is preparing to welcome an astronomical art installation by UK artist Luke Jerram.
Birmingham’s landmark city centre venue is bringing an out-of-this-world experience to event bookers and the public early next year. Gaia, an exhibition by UK artist Luke Jerram, will be making its way to the multi[1]award-winning Millennium Point from 1st February to 28th March 2022. The artwork (pictured on the front cover) provides the opportunity for those attending events at Millennium Point and the general public to see our planet on a large scale, floating in three-dimensions.
Measuring 7m in diameter, Gaia features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the earth’s surface on a globe, which will be suspended from the venue’s astonishing Atrium. Gaia will slowly revolve, and BAFTA award winning composer Dan Jones’ music will be played alongside the sculpture in surround sound.
This breath-taking experience will be free and open to all – giving event organisers an exciting opportunity to level up their events with a unique experience during this period at no additional cost.
Millennium Point’s Commercial Director, Rebecca Delmore said: “We are thrilled to host Luke Jerram’s masterpiece. This free exhibition will not only be a delight for the public but adds a truly unique experience to our clients’ events at no additional cost.
“We hope visitors will be inspired by the experience as it opens discussions on the beauty of our planet and why we must protect it. Our venue is committed to reducing our carbon footprint with sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, but there is so much more that can be done.”
Jerram’s Gaia inspires a sense of the overview effect, a phenomenon common among astronauts seeing earth from space. This includes a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment – a pressing concern of modern business.
In the Stars Birmingham venue Millennium Point is preparing to welcome an astronomical art installation by UK artist Luke Jerram. A public programme pivoted around sustainability and the environment is set to be announced by Millennium Point over the coming months. The programme will be in partnership with Thinktank Science Museum and will provide visitors with a host of fun and educational free activities.
Millennium Point announced earlier this year its commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly events with a host new packages and services, including state of the art hybrid and virtual conferencing solutions for its venue and measures to reduce the use of plastic and waste from events. This followed a £350,000 refurbishment of its impressive 354-seat auditorium, which was formerly the first IMAX in the West Midlands. The Auditorium boasts a 16m x 10m giant screen and a 10m x 3m participation stage area. Improvements also include an astonishing AV equipment upgrade including an intelligent LED lighting system with a dozen moving wash lights and spotlights.
Millennium Point features 17 versatile events and conference facilities that are a mix of both public and private spaces. It is capable of hosting a variety of events from small meetings to award dinners, esports tournaments, festivals, film screenings, and more. Its location is a short 15-minute walk from Birmingham New Street station and its on-site 900 space multi-story car park makes it a popular choice for event organisers. Rebecca added: “It’s been a tumultuous time for the events industry. Bringing Gaia to Birmingham is a statement that now it’s time to get back to business, and that is just the beginning of what our landmark public building and award-winning venue has planned for 2022.”
The Millennium Point team received praise in 2020 for their quick and robust response to COVID-19. This later resulted in the venue being chosen as one of the first NHS mass vaccination centres early this year. Now the venue returns to its focus of delivering high quality events for paying clients and hosting their own exciting programme of public activities.
The venue is no stranger to supporting the local region, however. All profits made from commercial activities that take place at the landmark building are donated by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support the growth of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider regions.
Projects include grants of up to £20,000 to local schools and educational not-for-profits; annually funding a STEM-related undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University and providing rent benefits to STEM tenants such as the Thinktank Science Museum and Birmingham City University. Over the past five years the charity has given more than £5 million to improving STEM education in the West Midlands.
For information on the Gaia exhibit and hosting events visit Millennium Point’s brand new website Millenniumpoint.org.uk, email events@millenniumpoint.org.uk, or call 0121 202 2200.