Festival honouring cultural diversity returns

A multi-venue festival celebrating creative cultural diversity will take place across four counties from the start of May.

DIASPORA! festival, run by Diverse Artists Network, will see events hosted in 40 venues across Bristol, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

The event, funded by the Arts Council. will feature music performances, poetry, talks, and films and workshops, with many events providing free or 'pay as you feel'.

Festival producer Jess Neill said the community-led project has doubled in size since 2024 to include around 100 events "highlighting the talent" in communities across the south west.

Events taking place in Somerset include a community flag making workshop in Weston-super-Mare and a theatre performance at the Ashburton Arts Centre in Taunton.

Other events include a film night at the Pearl Exchange in Bude and a theatre performance at the Exeter Phoenix.

Musicians and bands lined up to play during the two-week festival include the Dur Dur Band Auntie Flo, Josephine Gyasi, Quantic, Zero 7 and DJ collective Booty Bass.

On 4 May, Trinity Centre in Bristol will host a day of events dedicated to the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) diaspora.

British and Iranian artist Roxana Vilk, who is performing with her band Vilk Collective, said it will be a "really special day".

"To be able to share Iranian language and sounds - it's more than ever with the ongoing crisis unfolding across the Middle East right now," she said.

Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) in Bristol will host two free workshops on zine making and a Creative Cuppa drop-in, on 6 May.

A spokesperson from KWMC said the festival "reflects the reality of our neighbourhood where we've all got a lot more in common than what divides us".

"At KWMC, we are shaping fairer futures together through arts, tech and care by creating welcoming spaces where everyone feels heard and able to take part.

"The festival is a great opportunity to amplify this work."

The festival will also include traditional cultural performances such as belly dancing and west African dancing.

Sudafest, a charity working with the Sudanese community in Bristol, will host the Daluka Circle - a women's drumming circle - at Faithspace Communities in Bristol, on 2 May.

Organiser Hiba Elhindi said the event is centred around "women's rhythms which are part of wedding rituals".

"We're really excited and looking forward to the day," she said.

Neill said she hopes this year's programme "highlights how much talent we have here" in the West and South West.

"There's loads to enjoy and something for everyone," she said.

The festival will run from 30 April to 10 May.

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