Birmingham union jack art made from discarded lamp-post flags

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.