Victoria Square was transformed for the opening weekend of PoliNations in September 2022. Monumental tree installations, performance and community gathering reshaped the civic space across Day 1 and Day 2, marking the launch of the city-wide cultural programme.

Photographing the opening weekend meant working across scale and detail — from wide frames capturing the architectural intervention within the square to closer moments of audience engagement and live performance. As a Birmingham-based event photographer, I documented the build-up of atmosphere from first arrivals through to the full flow of public interaction.

The coverage reflects both the ambition of the installation and the immediacy of opening day, capturing how the space shifted once the public stepped into it.