A popular exhibition which highlighted Birmingham's place at the centre of the Heavy Metal revolution through Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and other rock pioneers could become permanent if it secures Lottery funding.
The Home of Metal show was a huge success during summer 2011 attracting 200,000 people to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery where rare artefacts such as Judas Priest stage costumes and Black Sabbath star Tony Iommi’s guitar were on display.
Now the show, which highlighted the influence of Birmingham and the Black Country's metal-bashing factories on the sound, could be set for a return if successful.
It is one of six heritage projects competing for a National Lottery grant in a public vote and the Capsule art group, which set up the show, is calling on people of the West Midlands and heavy metal fans to give their support.
Lisa Meyer of Capsule said: "We are delighted to have reached the finals of The National Lottery Awards for our Home of Metal project.
"We managed something quite extraordinary in the summer of 2011. At last fans in Birmingham and the rest of the world had a chance to pay homage to the music and its industrial home."
The exhibition, which was launched by Tony Iommi, is reckoned to have generated £2.69m for the city's tourist economy by attracting visitors from all over the world.
The exhibition revealed, for example, how Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi developed his singular way of playing guitar after he injured his hand in a terrible accident while working in one of the local sheet metal factories.
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Capsule also compiled a digital archive of memorabilia and memories from heavy metal fans the world over.
Home of Metal is competing against six other projects for the title of Best Heritage Project - Cotton Famine Park, Mary Rose Museum, Moments in Time, Museum of Liverpool, The Restoration of Hackney Empire and St George's Market.
• To vote visit
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