The dB Xpo festival, a showcase of the best of the UK’s Black and Asian arts, opens on February 9 and will feature 80 events at venues across the West Midlands, including Nitro’s Slam Dunk (pictured) at Birmingham Rep.
The festival is one of the final elements in the year-long decibel programme which aims to raise the profile of culturally diverse arts in Britain. Other events still to take place include ‘A Free State’, an international conference about Black and Asian visual arts practice; the unveiling of new research into ethnicity in the publishing sector; and a series of ‘power lunches’ to provide networking opportunities for artists. At the recent South Bank Show Awards, the first Arts Council England decibel award recognising the contribution of a Black or Asian artist went to playwright Roy Williams, whose work has recently been produced at the National Theatre and the Royal Court.