One of the hallmarks of Birmingham’s fascinating journey through history during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games was not an athlete or a dancer, but a bull. huge.
The raging robotic animal, 10 meters tall and built in the heart of Birmingham in five months’ time, is the epitome of some of the more problematic parts of the city’s history.
Here’s what Birmingham’s most iconic animal represented at the opening ceremony, in robot form:
The bull was introduced to the audience at Alexander Stadium by women’s chain makers, pulling the bull along into the center of the arena. This is a reference to working conditions in the 19th century, where some women would work long hours in uncomfortably hot houses harvesting peanuts in small chains.
The bull was armored, with names and phrases that particularly respected the head armor. Meaningful as a metaphor for the spirit of the city, the animatronic seems to be activated (literally, smoke coming out of its nostrils) when community discord and distressing working conditions are brought to bear. performed by the dance troupe.
The Raging Bull | Image source: Getty Images
The frenzied energy also imparted to the women, the last to break the chains, a symbol of redemption for the old working class and more specifically, the abolition of slavery and the strike. on the minimum wage in 1901, this is a pivotal point in the nation’s history for women.
The bull, angry and disturbed, appears to burst into the crowd but Stella and the Dreamers (the main performer of the dance troupe, who seems to symbolize Birmingham’s march towards the good) more beautiful in society) reassured the bull with an act of compassion.
The bull is not taken though. Birmingham’s struggle with cultural and community harmony. The bull is said to have become increasingly enraged by social discord and the inability to discern differences and observe each other. So much so that the bull is shown to collapse with astonishment and also cry out blood. Then the Dreamers call for reflection and transformation as they seek to reassure the bull, read Birmingham, again. .
The performance also helps with healing when the bull’s armor is removed, as if to suggest his baggage (the city) dissolve.
Throughout their sequences, the Dreamers bring shards of light together at the end of the ceremony. Stella (leader of the Dreamers), gathers them together to form a disco ball that lights up the arena, making the bulls wobble – as if heralding a brighter tomorrow for a city. united street.
