Car Park Events

taking over urban spaces

Car Park Events

There’s a strong tradition of hijacking spaces to make art and disseminate messages in urban art. At Soul City Arts we love ‘taking over’ spaces, though in a constructive and socially minded manner. We work with organizations of all sorts to transform bleak, functional, under-used environments into welcoming spaces for social encounters, community building and the arts.

After several years of project development, working with Dr James Hodkinson of Warwick University, we took over the Paradise Street multi-storey car park in central Birmingham. We repurposed an otherwise ugly space to run an event dedicated to the them of empathy. After laying carpet, lighting the space, flooding it with sound, we showed films, ran a workshop, communicated and – crucially – engaged passers-by as well as invitees in dialogue.

We are always looking for spaces to take over in meaningful ways, for organizations and site owners who which to work with us to explore themes of relevance and revitalize their otherwise mundane four walls

Our most recent event in a multi-storey car park

Paradise Car Park in Birmingham city-centre was taken over by the Soul City Arts team.  We screened a film and invited artist and facilitator Mark Gonzales to lead a session, and worked with Dr.James Hodkinson to present some exciting ideas.
Art of Empathy