Legendary Soul II Soul DJ and producer Jazzie B, Leicester-born Laurence Olivier Award winner Josette Simon OBE and an ‘In Conversation’ with YouTube personality Roly feature on an eclectic list of artists taking part in De Montfort University Leicester’s (DMU’s) Cultural Exchanges festival.
YouTube star Roly will be 'In Conversation' about non-binary identity
The annual event is being staged by final year students studying DMU’s Arts and Festivals Management degree.
The five students behind this year’s festival – which runs from Monday 26 February to Friday 2 March - have done everything from booking the events, to designing the brochure and website, as well as organising ticket sales.
Legendary Soul II Soul DJ Jazzie B
There are a total of 31 events throughout the week – many of them free - which also includes a talk by The Guardian’s Editor-at-Large Gary Younge on gun crime in the USA, a European premiere by the USA-based Kizuna Dance Company, a talk with BAFTA-nominated dramatist Vinay Patel , who wrote the BBC drama about honour killing 'Murdered by my Father', an ‘In Conversation’ with YouTube personality Roly, who will talk about non-binary identity, and a talk on the Suffragette movement by renowned cultural historian Dr Fern Riddell.
This year’s line-up is designed to support diversity, the LGBTQ community and mark 100 years since women won the right to vote.
USA-based Kizuna Dance Company will stage a European premiere
In a new addition, a series of fringe events have also been organised which will take place in city venues during festival week. This includes a ‘Poetry, Diversity and Hilarity’ workshop in the Criterion pub, Millstone Lane, and a talk about free speech at the LCB Depot, Rutland Street.
The full programme brochure and box office details can be found here
Cultural historian Dr Fern Riddell
Student Emily Gamble, who is helping to market the event, said: “We hope as many people as possible come along and support a line-up which celebrates all that is great in the creative industries. It has been incredibly hard work for five students to organise a festival on this scale but we have all risen to the challenge and are delighted with the names we have attracted this year.
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Olivier Award-winning Josette Simon OBE
“Organising Cultural Exchanges has meant we can put into practice everything we have learned over the past three years and prepare us for future careers in the industry.”
The student team behind Cultural Exchanges 2018
Tony Graves, Subject Leader for Arts and Festivals Management, said: “The students have worked incredibly hard to put together a programme which has, yet again, made Cultural Exchanges one of the annual high points in the region’s arts calendar.
“I would urge as many people as possible to come along and support an absorbing celebration of culture in 2018.”
Posted on Tuesday 13 February 2018