Film, visual art and animation businesses from Leipzig in the German State of Saxony were able to build links with leading organisations in Birmingham during a Trade Mission to Britain’s second city.
Birmingham and Leipzig established a partnership in 1992 which led them to become twin cities. This partnership has resulted in a formal agreement between the two cities which aims to foster co-operation and understanding through cultural, educational and economic exchanges.
Birmingham’s Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Councillor Ken Wood and Barbara Wood, were invited to Leipzig in November 2024 to attend the Leipzig Opera Ball, a prestigious event in the city which was first held in 1693.
Each year the annual Leipzig Opera Ball celebrates one of its partner cities. In 2024 the focus was on Birmingham, which presented an opportunity to deepen the business ties between the two cities.
Ten creative companies from Birmingham accompanied the Lord Mayor on a Birmingham delegation to Leipzig, and the reciprocal visit to Birmingham provided Leipzig creatives the opportunity to visit the city well known for its diverse and thriving creative and cultural scene.
Councillor Wood said: “I was delighted to lead the recent visit of Birmingham tech and creative businesses to Leipzig and welcome the reciprocal visit to Birmingham.
"Our cities have been twinned since 1992 and during this time, there have been numerous exchanges on a range of topics including economic regeneration, education, culture and public health to mention just a few. These current exchanges will develop further opportunities for business, trade and investment collaboration in the Creative Industries sector, which is a key priority for both cities.”
Ten delegates representing companies delivering products and services from within the creative sector and based in the city of Leipzig had the chance to visit prominent organisations to discuss potential collaborations.
The three-day trip was organised by Birmingham City Council in conjunction with partners West Midlands Combined Authority, West Midlands Growth Company, Department of Business and Trade, and Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, who worked closely with Kreatives Leipzig - an organisation founded in 2010 to provide self-employed people and businesses from Leipzig’s creative industries the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with other creative partners in different nations and regions.
The businesses met with representatives from Birmingham’s creative and cultural ecosystem, beginning with a Round Table hosted by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. Delegates from Leipzig had the opportunity to engage with representatives from the Birmingham Design Festival, the Birmingham Film and TV Market, Flatpack Film Festival, Birmingham Open Media, and the Birmingham Music Archive.
The discussion was chaired by Anthony Tattum, chief marketing officer of marketing communications agency, Leopard Co.
Ines Dietrich - a representative of Kreatives Leipzig - also briefed attendees on the upcoming MACHN Festival – a tech, business and art festival scheduled to take place in June 2025 in Leipzig – and extended an invitation for Birmingham creatives to showcase their work. The Leipzig delegation was also invited to participate in the 2025 Birmingham Film and TV Market, as well as the 2026 Birmingham Design Festival and Flatpack Film Festival.
The Leipzig party was then able to visit Birmingham Open Media to find out more about their work in the immersive and tech space as well as meet some of the participants on some of the West Midlands Combined Authority-funded Immersive Bootcamps currently being run by the team there.
The next day of the mission began with a visit to Holosphere, a team of XR specialists who use the latest immersive technologies including VR, AR and mixed realities to deliver a number of exciting projects across the world.
The delegation was then invited to attend VentureFest, at a session on European Partnership opportunities with representatives on the panel from a number of global innovative companies with a base in Birmingham.
Next, the party was shown around STEAMHouse (part of Birmingham City University), where delegates had an opportunity to find out more about the membership packages for creative businesses and take a closer look at some of the latest technologies which can be found there including a variety of different 3D printing equipment and the new digital production facilities there including a SoundLab.
The final stage of the Trade Mission was a visit to Digbeth. A visit around The Bond which showcased its position amongst some striking street art along the canal was then followed by a visit to the Custard Factory and BAFTA Nominated animation studio Second Home Studios who are based nearby. A visit to Birmingham’s oldest pub, The Old Crown which was built in 1358 concluded the Trade Mission.
WMCA programme manager Fiona Latter, who helped to organise the visit, said: “When I led a delegation of creative businesses from Birmingham to Leipzig In November 2024, it became immediately clear that there were a number of similarities between the creative ecosystems within our respective cities. The vibrant and growing sub-sectors of art, music, live experiences and digital media were well represented in Leipzig, as they also are in Birmingham, but Birmingham’s strong focus on creative technologies was something that was particularly well received by the Leipzig delegation. It is a combination of these strengths that will enable us all to unlock opportunities to be developed in the future.”
