A festival of culture organised by students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is officially launched this Friday with a party - and everyone is invited.
A total of 40 events – the majority of which are free - have been organised by final year Arts and Festivals Management students for the annual Cultural Exchanges festival, which includes talks by MOBO awards founder Kanya King, Red or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway and former BBC war reporter, MP and author Martin Bell.
There are also appearances from best-selling novelist Nina Stibbe, US investigative journalist Greg Palast and, in collaboration with Leicester Print Workshop, a talk by international artist and Royal Academy member Emma Stibbon.
The festival team will launch the event this Friday 24 February, at The Font pub, in Gateway Street , next to the DMU campus, from 6pm to 9pm, where people can find out more about the events and book seats as well as take part in a free pub quiz.
RELATED NEWS
Hurry! Reserve your tickets to see the stars of Cultural Exchanges
Be inspired. Book a place at the next DMU Open Day
Chance to help stage comedy festival no joke for DMU students
The seven students behind the festival, who have done everything from booking the events, to designing the brochure and website, as well as organising ticket sales and setting budgets, are urging people to book as quickly as they can as many of the acts are close to selling out.
The festival, which is open to the public, runs from Monday 27 February to Friday 3 March. The full line-up and ticket details are available in the festival brochure which you can read here.
Student Stacey Brown, the Marketing, PR and Promotions Officer for Cultural Exchanges, said: “The team has put in so much work to make this festival a reality and it is really exciting – although a little nerve-wracking too - that we are fast approaching the launch date.
“I hope as many people as possible can join us at The Font for a Cultural Exchanges Cocktail, a chat about what the festival has to offer and take part in the quiz. It should be a lot of fun.”
Other highlights for the festival include an exhibition of world leading contemporary artist Jonathan Monk in DMU’s The Gallery, a debate on whether the 30-year-old Black History Month still has relevance, a Q&A with DMU photography lecturer and artist Lala Meredith-Vula and a performance by critically acclaimed dancer Keira Martin.
There is also a celebration of 50 years since the Summer of Love which features a live Q&A with Jenny Spires, the former girlfriend of legendary Pink Floyd founder member Syd Barratt. The ‘Tonite Let’s All Make Love in Leicester’ event will also include a special screening of subversive film-maker Peter Whitehead’s wild documentary ‘Tonite Let’s All Make Love in London’ to mark DMU recently acquiring Whitehead’s archive.
Cultural Exchanges Festival 2017 is sponsored by Unite Students accommodation business.
Posted on Wednesday 22 February 2017