In 2023, six fantastic early-career creatives took part in a paid development programme and brought a fresh perspective to the heritage of Moseley Road Bath’s with a brand-new digital experience
The final outcome of the project was an innovative podcast called Bathcasts. In each episode, comedian Rachel Baker interviews someone connected to Moseley Road Baths while they take a bath in one of our Edwardian Slipper Bath cubicles. The six-part series also features specially commissioned poetry, spoken word, music and guided meditations. After launching in November with a special night featuring live performances and a bath-shaped cake, the podcast is now available to listen to on Spotify.
As the project came to an end, we caught up with each of our Young Curators about their experience working on this unique collaboration and how it has impacted their plans for the future. Next up, Amira Mohamed…
Hi Amira! Let’s start with a round of fun, quick-fire questions.
Would you rather have a shower, take a bath or go for a swim?
I would have to say shower because they are so quick and convenient. My house is always so full, my family would be banging on the bathroon door if I took the time to have a bath.
Bubbles, a rubber duck or both?
Both! The best of both worlds.
Hot water, cold water or somewhere in between?
Hot. Who would take a cold shower in this weather?
A podcast, music or an audiobook?
Currently, I’m listening to the audiobooks of a dystopian YA series called Shatter Me. I’m on the fourth book now and really enjoying it.
A samosa, chips or a slice of cake?
That’s the hardest question to answer because I love my food! Can I say all three?
Moving on to some bigger questions, who is an you have admired recently?
It might sound like a basic answer but I’m going to say Van Gough. I find the story of how he wasn’t truly appreciated until after his death really interesting. There is an episode of Doctor Who based around him. After watching that, I went on a deep dive online and learnt all about Van Gough, his paintings and the techniques he used.
Where is your favourite place in Birmingham?
The is a cute boba place in Kings Heath called High Tea. It’s tiny and adorable, and it should be more appreciated. I go with my friends from university and there is the sweetest woman who is always working. It is my favourite place so far.
If you could put on any event in Moseley Road Baths, what would it be?
One of the ideas we had at the very beginning of the project was to do a Horrible Histories style reenactment of stories from Moseley Road Baths. We ended up going down a different route but I hope that idea happens one day. One of my main tasks of the project was to go through the archives and there are so many stories told by the community which happened in Moseley Road Baths. Imagine seeing them acted out with a comedic twist.
Are there any other buildings in Birmingham you are interested in seeing restored?
I am really interested in seeing Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery reopen! I moved to Birmingham two years ago so it has been closed ever since I arrived.
What is your favourite part of Moseley Road Baths?
I used to volunteer as a receptionist and I loved sitting behind the desk and talking to all of the people as they came in. The community is my favourite part of Moseley Road Baths.
How did you find out about the Young Curators? And what interested you about the opportunity?
I got involved with the Young Curators because Susie Walker, Volunteer Co-ordinator at Moseley Road Baths, contacted me about it saying I might be interested. At the time, I was still in college and didn’t have any experience outside of education. One of my big goals for last year was to try new things outside of college and I also wanted to learn new skills so it seemed like a great opportunity. I’m so glad I did get involved – it has been incredible!
What was the most impactful lesson you learnt during the project?
One of the first things we did as a group was a brainstorming session about what the what the final outcome of the project could be. It was really interesting because the goals was to create something related to Moseley Road Baths is really broad and we came up with such a wide slate of ideas. Being a college student, I was so used to following steps but this was completely different. Having so much creative freedom was quite overwhelming at first. However, working with everyone to narrow down our ideas to what we ended up doing – the podcast – was so interesting. I learnt so much along the way and I am so grateful for the experience.
What are you most proud of from your time as Young Curator?
The golden moment of the project was definitely the Bathcasts launch event. I had never been to an event like that, much less planned one. Getting to watch all of the talented performers and seeing Rackel Baker host – it was just such a cool moment! I am very extroverted but had never been to an event like that where you got to meet so many new people. The conversations were all so interesting, the venue was great and the cake was incredible!
What do you hope the legacy of the project will be?
I hope it lives on in people’s minds. It could be that the podcast inspires people to go back to Moseley Road Baths when it reopens or they just have memories about how fun the launch event was. It doesn’t need to be something big but sticking around in people’s heads would be a nice legacy to leave.
Finally, what are your plans for the future?
I hope to start studying Electrical Engineering in September so getting through university is definitely my main goal. My main goal for every year though is to experience new things. If there is an opportunity to try something I haven’t done before, I will definitely be up for it.
The Young Curators project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
