Grand Union is thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Open for Business’, a landmark operatic performance by Birmingham-based opera company Infinite Opera, launching on Sunday, 30 August 2026.
Unfolding on the city streets of Digbeth, Birmingham, ‘Open for Business’ follows the lives of four main characters, inspired by the imagined histories and speculative futures of the area’s artists, workers, and residents:
Dawn AikenheadOpen accordion
“I’ve been here for years. This is my place, my town, my land. An adult arcade. Here for a fun time not a long time. Getting chewed up and spat out is a ritual. Do that once, do that twice, you can always come back. We are always changing so we won’t remember.”
– Dawn Aikenhead, nightclub owner and entrepreneur.
Performed by Roxanne Korda.
Jenny Rogers (nee Johnson)Open accordion
“The streets are an open notebook, they make me real. My movements exist in the embedded layers of paint on chipboard and brick. If it gets knocked down or ripped up, I’m no better than the martyrs of history. We all of us who’ve had our names on walls will have them taken down one day.”
– Jenny Rogers (nee Johnson), grafitti artist and charity worker.
Performed by Dalma Sinka.
Jerry JohnsonOpen accordion
“The world is waiting to meet me. I am waiting to find adventure and love. My sister showed me the value in art, but it won’t pay. And I won’t wait for it to pay. This place isn’t really giving me what it promised. It’s dirty and noisy. But if I want anything it’s a promising future.”
– Jerry Johnson, hospitality worker with big dreams .
Performed by Clint Lesch.
Martin ClaytonOpen accordion
“I got my first job here, polishing floors. Making friends with the bands who passed through – big names they were! They knew this city and loved it. What would they think now? In come the big families and corporate names. Surfs on someone else’s turf. But here to stay – milled and made from these soils.”
– Martin Clayton, ex-metalworker turned developer.
Performed by Howang Yang.
Celebrating Digbeth’s rich cultural and industrial heritage through orchestral music performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), live song and theatrical performance, ‘Open for Business’ is free to attend.
There will be two full performances:
- 2-4pm
- 6-8pm
Note: Please ensure you book tickets for the correct time, as places for each performance are limited and we may not be able to exchange your tickets.
Access InformationOpen accordion
Full performance routes and timings will be shared here in due course.
Please note this event involves moving between various venues in and around Digbeth. We will share a full access guide to the event closer to the time.
One of the four performance routes is fully physically accessible. There are accessible toilets throughout this route which will be signposted. Most venues will have seating available.
To discuss access further, please email info@grand-union.org.uk or call us on 0121 643 9079.
Stoford Ltd. and Grand Union have commissioned ‘Open for Business’ to mark the redevelopment of the Tea Factory, Typhoo Wharf.
With support from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), VWF Foundation, and Hinrichsen Foundation.
Infinite Opera’s ‘Open for Business’ operatic performance is generously supported by 9 venues across the Digbeth community: Birmingham Coach Station, EH Smith Design Centre, MJM Bespoke, Nortons, The Old Crown, Pan Pan, Suki10c, The Tea Factory, Typhoo Wharf, and Zellig.
