Fire Garden in Sandwell Valley

The Fire Garden in Sandwell Valley was a new, immersive art experience created in collaboration with the arts organisation Walk the Plank. It was held on November 8-9, 2024 and transformed the Victorian Garden at Sandwell Valley into a dazzling display of handcrafted fire sculptures and artistic installations. 

We visited on one of the days to experience the unique fire-based art pieces and it was a fun experience.

Walk the Plank, who are a UK-based creative arts organisation, are known for their immersive, outdoor public events that combine visual spectacle with storytelling. They specialise in fire displays, pyrotechnics and large-scale theatrical installations and work with local communities to transform public spaces into interactive art experiences. Their very popular Fire Garden experience was first held at Salford Quays in 1999 and since then it has been held at various venues like the Brentford Lock in London, Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, Nottingham Castle, St Albans Cathedral, Hanley Park in Stoke-on-Trent, Portmeirion, Blackpool and more.

Tickets for the event were sold on a timed slot - half an hour to experience the fiery sculptures at one's own pace. We had booked the 8pm slot and arrived a little early to explore the night market which included fairground rides, food vendors and a bar with festive drinks.

Entry to the event was well organised and we were in the garden dot on time. The event was designed as a quieter, animal-friendly alternative to traditional fireworks and we felt that this was a great initiative.

In the garden, the sculptures were set up along a path (it was a 1-way system) and visitors moved along the designated pathways taking in the art work.

There were some interesting pieces of art on display. The very first one was called 'The Passage ' (by Mary Reynolds). This sculpture had a metallic nest of fire, whose heat caused two skeletal birds above to circle the nest with their wings flapping gently as they flew in circles around the nest.

Then there was a kinetic sculpture called the 'Flaming Daisy Chain' (by Mike Pattison) that had flower-like cogs turning and pulling a chain through a watering can of paraffin. The paraffin ignited it as it rose creating a continuous cycle of flaming flowers. It was fascinating to watch.

There were other sculptures like the copper lotus flowers breathing fires, scorching trees, fire chimneys and fireboxes.

I loved the fireboxes (pictured below). They had various themed designs on them that seemed to come alive with the fire, creating an engrossing experience.

Half an hour was enough to get through the garden, enjoying all the sculptures at our own pace. We stood, watched, felt the warmth, got mesmerised and enjoyed the whole experience.

The event seemed to be a hit with all ages as we noticed visitors of all ages at the event.

Even though there were flaming installations all around, safety at the Fire Garden was carefully managed by Walk the Plank. Their team members were stationed throughout the garden, overseeing the fire sculptures and ensuring that visitors enjoyed the installations safely.

For information on upcoming events by Walk the Plank, check out their Facebook page.