The December 2021 event partnered with the Free at Last charity, musical theatre company BMOS, and local balloon company, Candy Bubbles.
The Big Balloon Build, along with industry partners, Pioneer Worldwide who sponsor the event with Qualatex balloons, and Premium Balloon Accessories who supply the machines, teamed up with 45 balloon artists from around the world to create a balloon wonderland backdrop for a Christmas stage production of The Nutcracker.
The Big Balloon Build events help to promote balloons locally and shows the potential of the medium to the public and corporates alike. Each event also supports a local charity. In Birmingham, the chosen charity was Free at Last, which supports children and young adults to reach their full potential.
Musical operatic company, BMOS, then performed multiple performances of its own Nutcracker production in front of the four major balloon scenes created. The audience and actors moved from one stage to the next during the live performances, taking in the four scenes including Under the Tree, The Enchanted Forest, the Castle and the Ballroom. The production incorporated multiple dance scenes, as well as some originally penned lyrics to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite.
Each Big Balloon Build runs from Monday through to Thursday lunchtime, when the team hands over the overall build to the charity, who plan multiple events over the next week to promote awareness of their charity and also to raise funds for their work.
Organiser, Stuart Davies, commented: “The Big Balloon Build’s aim is to make a difference to the world through the joy of balloons. We uniquely partner with local balloon companies and charities in each community, with the aim of making a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young adults in that area, but also promoting the amazing impact that balloons can have on any event, and their diversity.”
The Big Balloon Build is a global venture, and in Birmingham 45 balloon artists from all across the UK as well as Sweden, Austria, Canada and the USA. The next event will take place in Vincennes, Indiana in April 2022, where a team of 60 artists will create the Candyland Boardgame with the permission of Hasbro in aid of the charity United Way.
A further event will take place in the UK later this year and the team aims to take the Big Balloon Build around the world.
