festivals,events and flagships

Leicester hosts vibrant festivals and events year-round. We’re proud to support diverse cultural celebrations, including Spark Festival, Bring the Paint, Riverside and many more.

festivalsand events

Using creativity and art as a vehicle, we aim to engage, empower, and enrich the lives of children and young people, especially those facing disadvantage and challenges. Festivals and events allow us to connect with more communities and be an active part of the Leicester (shire) arts and cultural scene, building on existing partnerships while expanding our reach.

We’ve continued our successful partnership with The Spark Arts for Children, delivering graffiti and DJ & turntablism workshops at Leicester’s annual children’s arts festival, the Spark Festival. This city-wide event, aimed at children and young people aged 0-13 years, is just one example of our involvement in local celebrations like Bring the Paint, Riverside Festival, Leicester Mela, and Clarendon Christmas Park Fair.

Arts Fresco Festival Graffiti Spray
Festival Arts Fresco Clay
Queens Road Festival
Riverside Festival
Riverside Festival

flagshipprojects

Our flagship projects showcase our work regionally and nationally, collaborating with diverse partners delivering innovative, creative initiatives that foster enduring social and personal benefits for individuals and communities.

FLAGSHIP PROJECT

Tell Tall Tales

A one-of-a-kind heritage project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, celebrating Leicester and Leicestershire’s local folklore and community stories. We engaged young people and the wider community to gather stories passed on and celebrated folk tales making them accessible to new audiences with creative outputs such a graphic novel, animated films and a performance blending storytelling and music, ensuring these rich narratives inspire future generations.

This isn’t your typical heritage project, Tell Tall Tales brings myths and superstitions to life in collaboration with Historic England, LeicesterShire Music, Phoenix Leicester and other partners. Young participants worked with professional researchers to develop skills for the heritage sector, which was the foundation for the project. The project culminates in an exhibition at Leicester Stories Gallery and a film screening at Phoenix Leicester celebrating all of the heritage re-imagined for a new audience.

Tall Tales Mini-site
Tell Tall Tales
Grime Opera

FLAGSHIP PROJECT

GrimE Opera

A groundbreaking fusion of urban culture and classical music, Grime Opera was funded by Arts Council England, reflecting their dedication to promoting diversity and fostering innovative cultural experiences nationwide. An original concept conceived by Max Wheeler and in partnership with LeicesterShire Music, this unique production took place on Saturday 4th November 2023, in the heart of Leicester at Highcross, in a vacant unit in the shopping centre showcasing creativity and cultural integration like never before.

Grime Opera pushed boundaries by blending grime music written by local artists with the timeless elegance of a 65-piece youth orchestra performing classical music. This event celebrated the diversity of artistic expression, engaging audiences from all walks of life and uniting them through the power of music and performance. It demonstrated the transformative power of art, leaving a lasting impact on the community and opening doors to greater appreciation and understanding.

Grime Opera Mini-site
Grime Opera