00:00Let's take a look at some of the biggest and best events across Birmingham and the West Midlands this May.
00:06Mamma Mia! is at Birmingham Hippodrome from the 12th to the 13th of May.
00:10Built around the Sons of Abba, it has become much more than a jukebox musical,
00:14with a stage show seen around the world and a story that went on to reach an even wider audience
00:19through the film version.
00:21At its heart, it's about Sophie trying to understand her family before a wedding,
00:25and her mother being brought face-to-face with three men from her past.
00:30For anyone after a bit of Abba, colour and a large-scale musical, this is one of the major productions
00:35in May's calendar.
00:38Birmingham Pride takes place on the 23rd of May.
00:40Organisers say the first event was held in 1997, and it's since grown into one of the UK's major LGBTQ
00:48plus festivals.
00:49The programme is centred around the Gay Village, with a parade through Birmingham and the festival site expected to draw
00:57large numbers.
00:57As with any major city event, people planning to attend should check official details on access, routes and travel before
01:06setting off,
01:06particularly if they're travelling through the city centre.
01:10On to Smedic now, and Fibble Mill Library is offering reading hour for primary school children until the 29th of
01:17June.
01:18The library says sessions run every Monday and Wednesday.
01:21Children can bring a school library book, read to a member of staff, and have their reading diary signed.
01:27It is listed as free to join and is a smaller community activity, but it sits alongside bigger events as
01:33part of what families can find locally,
01:36especially for children building confidence with books.
01:39The focus is simple, giving young readers time, encouragement and a reason to keep practising.
01:45At Icon Gallery, Break the Mould is on through May.
01:49The gallery says the exhibition turns the building into a working laboratory for clay and ceramics,
01:54with resident artists Jack Kytan, Howell Miller-Castle and Roo Disu appearing alongside works by Cara Chin, Mark Essen and
02:04Laurie Ramsall.
02:05Visitors are expected to be able to watch artists at work and learn more about Birmingham Ceramic Studios,
02:11including Sun Dragon Community Pottery and Modern Clay.
02:15For anyone curious about craft, it offers a look at how ideas are shaped by hand.
02:21Birmingham's walking tour looking at canals, Victorian industry and the modern city runs on dates through May.
02:29Organisers describe it as a tour for visitors and residents exploring how Birmingham developed into a major industrial city
02:36and how its waterways still shape the streets and spaces people now use.
02:40It gives context to places that can feel familiar, but have a much longer story behind them.
02:46The route is also a reminder that the city's past is still visible in bridges, towpaths, warehouses and the pattern
02:52of the centre.
02:54And that's you updated with your what's on for Birmingham and the West Midlands.
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