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, artist Sadie Barnett…
Hi Sadie! 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 feel like I shouldn’t really say this because I worked on Bathcasts for half a year but… I’m actually a shower person.
Bubbles, a rubber duck or both?
Both. 100% both.
Hot water, cold water or somewhere in between?
Hot water. Who wants cold water? Definitely not me.
A podcast, music or an audiobook?
Obviously I would listen to this great new podcast called Bathcast.
A samosa, chips or a slice of cake?
Samosa.
Moving on to some bigger questions, who is an you have admired recently?
I recently went to Missing Threads, an exhibition highlighting different Black British artists, at Somerset House in London. It was looking at the UK fashion industry through the lens of Black culture which is often ignored. It told the stories of lots of different people and was so well curated.
Where is your favourite place in Birmingham?
Canon Hill Park. In the Summer when they have those duck boats in the pond, it is almost like a massive bath with huge rubber ducks. The park is right by my house and I feel so lucky to live beside so much nature. There are loads of great exhibitions and art classes on at the MAC too.
If you could put on any event in Moseley Road Baths, what would it be?
The first time I went to Moseley Road Baths was for my friend’s gig, Sofar Sounds, in the empty Gala Pool. I would put on a rave in the Gala Pool. There would be a big stage with decks and speakers and I would DJ. I would ask every single person in the Moseley Road Baths team to be there just to dance.
Are there any other buildings in Birmingham you would like to see renovated?
There are lots of libraries in Birmingham that could have a lot more done with them. When I lived in Selly Oak, all of the students would use the university library because it was so close, but Selly Oak has it’s own library. It’s a cool old building right in the middle of the high street but it hasn’t been used properly in years. It would be cool to do something else with that building because there are a lot of young students in that area.
What is your favourite part of Moseley Road Baths?
The big Gala Pool and the stands around it. It is going to be so cool when they are fully renovated and you go up there and look over the pool. You look up and it’s all just blue and white and beautiful.
How did you find out about the Young Curators? And what interested you about the opportunity?
I had just been to the Sofar Sounds event at Moseley Road Baths and thought it was such a cool event. I really wanted to come back to the building so I signed up to their mailing list and the opportunity came up on the next newsletter. I’d done other arts work before but hadn’t been involved in the curation of events so I was excited to explore that side of things.
What was the most impactful lesson you learnt during the project?
The session where we had to decide on a final idea for what we were going to create was really good. I hadn’t done idea generation in a team like that before. It made you think of the perks and setbacks of different ideas in a way that you wouldn’t if you were working on your own. Everyone’s different points of view were taken into consideration and we tried to come up with something that had a bit of everything. We all had the same job so we just wanted to figure out how to do it in the best way possible.
What are you most proud of from your time as Young Curator?
The Bathcasts launch even encapsulated everything that I was really proud of from the project. Everyone we invited to be a part of the project were all in one space and it really highlighted that this is a city full of creative young people. The community were there and excited to listen to each other.
What do you hope the legacy of the project will be?
I hope that, during the time the baths are closed, everyone thinks about why it is so important that the renovation work is being done. All of the stories you hear in the podcast come from people who have been involved in the Baths. They show the positive impact that space has had and will continue to have on lots of people.
Finally, what are your plans for the future?
Being part of the Young Curators has made me realise that I would like to take part in more arts and heritage projects. When you are someone who has been historically underrepresented within the arts, it is easy to see words like “heritage” and think that it isn’t for you. However, I now think that being involved in heritage projects is exactly what I should be doing to shine a spotlight on more different perspectives.
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The Young Curators project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
