God Bless birmingham
In December 2019, Banksy transformed a bench in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter into a message of compassion: God Bless Birmingham. The piece became part of the fabric of the Quarter, protected and cherished by its community. Today, God Bless Birmingham is an evolving cultural programme, developed by Jewellery Quarter Development Trust, Ikon Gallery and Birmingham City University, carrying that message forward through art and shared purpose.
The Story
On 7th December 2019, two painted reindeer appeared beside a bench in the Jewellery Quarter. Hours later, Banksy claimed the work as his own, photographing a homeless man resting there and captioning it “God Bless Birmingham.” In the twenty minutes he filmed, passers-by gave the man a hot drink, chocolate and a lighter – without him ever asking. The community has protected the piece ever since.
Our Vision
God Bless Birmingham uses art – in all its forms – to drive social change, carrying Banksy’s original message forward. The programme is developed jointly by Jewellery Quarter Development Trust, Ikon Gallery and Birmingham City University, with SIFA Fireside as community co-author. Together, they invite Birmingham-based artists to create new work at the Banksy site each year, directly engaging with themes of homelessness, value and community – with proceeds supporting SIFA Fireside and other nominated charities.
The Programme
Our first activation took place in December 2025, when Birmingham artist Dion Kitson installed a striking Father Christmas figure at the Banksy site – drawing thousands of visitors and national press coverage, and helping SIFA Fireside raise close to £10,000. Building on that success, the next activation is planned for Nov/Dec 2026, taking shape around a new artist commission and community engagement strand, with further details to be confirmed and shared closer to the time.
