Urban Shakespeare: Civic and Public Art in England's Second City

Abstract

Widely regarded as England’s second city, Birmingham is just thirty miles north of William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. As one enters the ceremonial county of Warwickshire in the West Midlands region where Birmingham lies, the road sign welcomes people to “Shakespeare’s county.” Yet, beyond the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the industrial city of Birmingham boasts a long, fascinating, and often overlooked history with Shakespeare