Play Sculpture

The Play Sculpture is an abstract children's play sculpture created around 1960 by the sculptor John Bridgeman, who lived from 1916 to 2004.

It is made from a metal wire frame that is covered and shaped in concrete, finished with lightly coloured metallic paint, although much of the paint has now peeled off. The sculpture is mounted on a tubular concrete base and stands on a large rectangular concrete slab surrounded by grass. Its design resembles a fish with a tail, featuring a central hole to encourage children to climb through. Notably, the tip of the tail has broken off as of 2014.

The sculpture is located within a Scandinavian-style landscape and playground that serves three blocks of flats built around 1959-60. This landscape was designed and planted by the landscape architect Mary Frances Mitchell, who was active from 1923 to 1988, for Birmingham City Council.