A man in a giant bird’s nest on the side of a high-rise; Una White’s name spelled out in our lights above the city; a flock of hot-air balloons playing music at dawn… based in Birmingham, Fierce! has established an international reputation for risk-taking, excellence and innovation and is now widely recognized as one of the UK’s most important contemporary arts festivals. It has consistently engaged new audiences with a broadening programme, delivered in conjunction with a wide variety of producing and presenting partners including IKON gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Rep, Compton Verney, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the CBSO.

In 2009, following an extensive search which attracted international interest, Fierce! Festival announced the appointment of its new artistic leaders, Laura McDermott and Harun Morrison as the new Joint Artistic Directors of Fierce! Festival and its related year round programme of work.

This programme of year-round work includes, artist development, public consultancy, the organization of networking events, artists’ surgeries and ‘Interrobangs’ (mash ups of audience engagement &a; research, art-experiments, seminars, workshops, installations, exhibitions, parties and activism!)

Fierce Festival was founded by Mark Ball who is now Artistic Director at LIFT.