Thomas Attwood is heading back to Paradise

One of Birmingham’s most iconic and recognisable statues – of reformer and MP Thomas Attwood – returns to the heart of the city today.

Thomas Attwood was last seen reclining on the steps of Chamberlain Square in late 2015. Since then he has been in storage at Birmingham Museum Trust’s Collection Centre in Nechells while the Paradise Birmingham site was prepared for redevelopment.

He is now returning to his position on the steps of Chamberlain Square following the square’s refurbishment as part of the completion of Phase One of Paradise. This phase also includes new public realm work on Congreve Street and Centenary Way as well as the first new buildings, One Chamberlain Square and Two Chamberlain Square.

Paradise Birmingham has already completed infrastructure works to improve road and pedestrian links and contributed towards the Westside metro extension. This work has been supported by Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) in conjunction with Birmingham City Council and Argent, developer-managers of Paradise.

The statue was originally presented to the city of Birmingham and its people by Priscilla Mitchell, Thomas Attwood’s great great granddaughter, in 1993 to commemorate his contribution to the expansion of democracy and human rights in the UK.

Officially called ‘Birmingham Man’, the statue of Thomas Attwood includes further pieces of art including a crate (or soap box upon which Attwood would have stood to give speeches) and sheaves of paper that spell out important aspects of Attwood’s political demands, along with the words Reform, The Vote and Prosperity, stencilled into the nearby steps.

The artwork was designed by sculptor Sioban Coppinger in collaboration with letterer Fiona Peever.

Sculptor Sioban Coppinger with Thomas Attwood

Attwood founded the Birmingham Joint Stock Bank in the 1820s, which eventually became part of Lloyds Bank. In 1832 Attwood became Birmingham’s very first Member of Parliament following his successful campaign to introduce the Great Reform Act. The act brought democratic representation to the newly industrialised towns of the North of England and Midlands for the first time.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said:

“This is a major milestone for the Paradise scheme as the public realm starts to come back to life and the first two buildings complete. With many thousands of jobs created or secured thanks to Paradise, we can look forward with confidence to further openings and milestones as the scheme continues to progress throughout this year and into next.”

Rob Groves, regional director with Argent, development managers of Paradise Birmingham, said: “Many of us will be familiar with the Thomas Attwood statue and its former position on the steps of Chamberlain Square. Returning him to the newly refurbished square has been a top priority for the team and to have him finally back in situ is an important moment.

“Ever since he was first unveiled in 1993 he has been a popular piece of public art and it is worth recognising once more the work of both the artists who created the piece, Sioban Coppinger and Fiona Peever, and the late Priscilla Mitchell, Attwood’s great great granddaughter, who commissioned and donated the piece to the city.”

Rob Groves, regional director at Argent with Thomas Attwood

Chris Taylor, CEO of Real Estate and Head of Private Markets at Federated Hermes International, said: “It is fitting to be able to restore the statue of a great Birmingham citizen, Thomas Attwood, to the steps of Chamberlain Square as we seek to recreate civic pride and a sense of belonging for the wider community through our placemaking and engagement.”

Rob Lewis, Collections Care Manager at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “The return of the Thomas Attwood statue is a milestone in the changing face of Birmingham city centre. We’ve cared for him while he has been in storage but it’s only right that he now takes his place on the steps at Chamberlain Square once more behind a modern new backdrop, linking the city’s past with its future.”

The Paradise team has been working hard behind the scenes to complete the work to the public realm around the development and today’s announcement marks a major milestone in bringing all of the public realm back into use for the people of Birmingham.

Further statues due to be returned to Paradise include those of scientist Joseph Priestley and industrialist James Watt. Both of these statues are being incorporated into the public realm as part of Phase Two of the development.

At almost 2 million square feet, Paradise will deliver up to ten new flagship buildings, offering offices, shops, bars, cafés, restaurants and a four star hotel across 17 acres in the heart of the city. The latest proposed building for Paradise is the 49-storey Octagon residential tower.

The Paradise redevelopment is being brought forward through Paradise Circus Limited Partnership (PCLP), a private-public joint venture with Birmingham City Council.

The private sector funding is being managed by Federated Hermes, which has partnered with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) on the first phase of the development. Argent is the development manager.

Paradise sits in the country’s largest city centre Enterprise Zone and has already benefited from investment by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) in enabling and infrastructure works.

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