The huge union jack was produced using tattered flags previously hung from lamp-posts.

The piece was produced using tattered flags previously hung from lamp-posts

Published25 September 2026

A huge union jack artwork has been created by repurposing discarded flags from unauthorised lamp-post displays as a message of "unity"

Birmingham textile artist Clare Elisabeth said her work, titled Re-Union Jack, incorporated dozens of worn-out flags and was a response to a flag-raising movement that had "caused division in communities across the country"

The names of hundreds of notable figures from across the West Midlands have been added to the piece, with some visiting the project specifically to endorse it by adding their signature

Elisabeth said the work, created as part of the International Day of Birmingham, celebrated the region's heritage as a "magical melting pot"

Signatories include a descendant of inventor James Watt, and members of reggae bands Steel Pulse and UB40

The four metre by seven metre artwork was sewn and glued by a small team led by the artist, who usually works with vintage fabrics

The artwork was shown at the city's Council House as part of International Day of Birmingham celebrations on Thursday and Friday