Walter the Whale takes up residence in Balsall Heath’s Living Room.
An inflatable whale, named Walter, has taken up residence at Moseley Road Baths overlooking Balsall Heath’s Living Room in the iconic Gala Pool.
Walter has a long association with Balsall Heath. Originally, he was an enormous sculpture at Malvern Street Adventure Playground. Initiated by play worker Dave Swingle in 1979, the Walter the Whale sculpture was an environmental project aimed at recycling metal bed springs and chain link fencing to form a structure which was then covered in concrete. The project was sponsored by local building companies. Playground children were involved in a two-week project which led on to the building of the structure.
Artists General Public, led by Elizabeth Rowe and Chris Poolman, discovered Walter the Whale as part of their Let Us Play project. Dave Swingle kept photographic and written material that offered new perspectives on the history of play within the city, including archive material relating to Balsall Heath’s Malvern Street playground – and Walter the Whale.
Artist and Curator Tim Mills worked with General Public to create an inflatable Walter, referencing the apparatus of a swimming pool and a playful nod to the importance of water in our lives. He commented: “Everyone has a relationship to water as a necessary requirement to life. It’s value as a means of washing and recreation are directly linked to the history of Moseley Road Baths and I’m delighted to bring Walter back to life for Moseley Road Baths.”
Running alongside the Living Room Project, Walter will be on display daily from 10.00am to 4.00pm in the iconic Gala Pool.
Balsall Heath’s Living Room, produced by Tickertape Parade is part of Moseley Road Baths Diving In Project and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Balsall Heath’s Living Room is a warm, accessible, intergenerational space within the Gala Pool. It is dressed with artworks, rugs, materials and soft furnishings with dressing and furniture sourced locally by Friction Arts, alongside artworks referencing the past, present and future of Moseley Road Baths.
Events throughout the next three months will encourage use as an inclusive space – including children’s gardening and adventure workshops, queer-positive performance events, and periods where the Baths is a protected safe space for marginalised and vulnerable groups. Every Thursday, the Living Room will be a dedicated women-only space throughout the day.
More information on events and activities taking place can be found at moseleyroadbaths.org.uk.
Pics – Tim Mills