Under the Same Sky brings a community kite procession and a seven-metre aerial rig to Tudor Grange Park on Saturday 3 October. Free entry, 2pm to 4pm.

A free community kite procession will move through Tudor Grange Park on Saturday 3 October, finishing under a seven-metre circular aerial rig for an outdoor dance performance.

The event is called Under the Same Sky. It runs from 2pm to 4pm and entry is free. It is the closing event of a borough-wide arts project that Solihull Council commissioned from Autin Dance Theatre. (Autin Dance Theatre)

The kites in the procession have been made over the summer by Solihull schools, families and community groups, out of willow, bamboo and tissue paper. The project started with a free weekend at Shirley Park and Babbs Mill Park on 20 and 21 June.

What happens on the day

The public part of the afternoon opens at 2pm with community stalls and food and drink traders. The procession sets off at 2.30pm.

Running order for Under the Same Sky at Tudor Grange Park on Saturday 3 October 2026: registration for taking-part groups from 1pm, public event opens 2pm, procession gathers 2.15pm, kite procession 2.30pm to 3.15pm, audience moves to the viewing area 3.15pm, Up in the Sky performance 3.20pm to 4pm

Two practical points the organiser makes that are easy to miss:

  • The 1pm to 2.15pm registration slot is only for schools and community groups that made kites. Everyone else should turn up from 2pm.
  • If you are coming mainly for the performance rather than the procession, arrive by 3pm.

The procession is expected to last about 45 minutes and to cover up to around 1.5 miles on park paths and grass, so wear shoes you can walk in. General audiences can watch from the marked route or wait at the event zone.

The closing performance, Up in the Sky, is performed by six artists and lasts about 40 minutes. It has no dialogue: the story is told through movement, music and visual imagery, which the company says is deliberate so that it works across languages and generations.

Getting there, and what to expect

Tudor Grange Park is on Monkspath Hall Road, B91 3LU. The council lists free parking off Blossomfield Road or Monkspath Hall Road, free car parking nearby at Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, several bus routes stopping near the park, and Solihull station less than half a mile away. (Solihull Council)

The organiser’s terms for the day are worth reading before you set off:

  • Dogs are welcome on a short lead, but must be kept away from the aerial rig, the marked performance boundary and food service areas. Assistance dogs are always welcome.
  • The site is alcohol-free, drug-free and glass-free.
  • Children must stay with a responsible adult unless they are attending with an organised group.
  • The event will be photographed and filmed. Tell a member of staff if you do not want to be included.
  • It will run in light rain, but activities may be adapted, delayed or cancelled in heavy rain, high winds, thunder and lightning, or if the ground is unsafe. Changes will go out through the company’s website and social media.

On access, the company says it will provide BSL interpreters, a quiet space and an accessible portable toilet. Blue Badge parking spaces have to be requested in advance by emailing hello@autindt.co.uk.

Kite-making workshops still to come

The outreach workshops that feed the procession are still running through September, led by the company’s artists at venues including a Saturday session at Brama on 5, 12, 19 and 26 September, the Memory Cafe on 15 September, and sessions with HK group on 16 and 23 September. Most are hosted with a named local group rather than open to drop-ins, so contact the company first if you want to join one.

What it means for you

If your child made a kite at school or with a community group this summer, 3 October is the day it gets used. Groups that took part have their own arrival instructions and their own registration slot from 1pm, so check with the school or group leader rather than assuming you turn up together at 2pm.

For everyone else, it is two hours of free outdoor programming in a Green Flag park a short walk from the town centre, with parking and a station close by. Nothing has to be booked.

More on the park and what else is on locally: things to do in Solihull. If you are driving in, our guide to parking in Solihull covers the town centre car parks.