Civic Gospel // Ben Waddington

Wed 15th May // 6 30pm // 100 mins

Meet: outside St Philips, St Philips Place B3 2RB

‘Civic Gospel’ was an ideology appearing in Victorian Birmingham, originating with the Non-conformist preacher and municipal activist George Dawson. Dawson described the town as ‘a solemn organism through which shall flow, and in which shall be shaped, all the highest, loftiest and truest ends of man's moral nature’. To this end, Birmingham was transformed from a lowly industrial town to one with a progressive, enlightened and efficient local government.

On this 90 minute walking tour of the city, we visit elements of Civic Gospel’s past and looks at how citizenship can be interpreted in regard to local government, architecture and particularly the use of Civic spaces. Can Civic Gospel still be felt today or have we let something invisible disappear? 

• Comfortable footwear and weather-appropriate clothing essential.

• Accessible route

• Civic Gospel first ran during St Philip’s Cathedral tercentenary celebrations in 2015.