On a business trip last week to Birmingham we took time out to visit the famous Library of Birmingham, designed by Mecanoo, situated in Centenary Square.

The Library of Birmingham provides a showcase for the city’s internationally important collections of archives, photography and rare books. New facilities including state-of-the-art gallery space open up public access to the collections for the first time.” About the Library of Birmingham – www.libraryofbirmingham.com

Wow! What an amazing public building. If you find yourself in Birmingham we highly recommend you pay this place a visit. The building is stunning from the outside and equally stunning inside.

This place has so much more to offer than just a library. Inside this building you will find a theatre (The REP), a digital gallery, many lounge areas, meeting rooms, cafes and even a secret garden with amazing views over the city.

Along our exploration of this intuitive space we kept spotting very curious groups of little figurines holding signs. Sometimes perched on bookshelves, sometimes standing on window ledges and even protesting on counters. It was great fun walking around trying to spot where the next group of protesting figures would be. Here are some pictures we took of the ones we came across.

In such grand surroundings the people behind these little protesting figures did an amazing job at making them stand out. It just proves that in even the most interesting, well designed and creative space there is always room for more creativity.

Still intrigued about these little figures we conducted a little research to find out more about them. Check out the #5WordProtest.

#5wordprotest is a collaborative art project part of the Epic Encounters exhibition and festival season at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The festival celebrates the works and life of Bertolt Brecht, a German revolutionary playwright from the twentieth century. Along with #5wordprotest, it is a feast of inspiring theatre, stimulating debate and hands-on activities for all ages taking place at The REP and The Library of Birmingham from February to April.” #5wordprotest How would you change the world?

What a fantastic way to bring this collaborative art project to life by utilising this amazing space. Discussing the project with our team, we chatted about what our 5 word protests would be and what our little figures would say? Here are some of our thoughts.

Creativity is good for everybody.
Be creative with your cash.
Do you use your creativity?
Use your creativity to inspire.
Creative minds build better worlds.

Do you have a 5 Word Protest? What would your little figures say? Please let us know and don’t forget to tweet them too. See the rest of our photos below for your sneeky preview of this amazing building.  The only disappointment was the burnt Lasagne and the plastic knives and forks – come on Birmingham Library, get some decent cutlery!