Following the announcement of Birmingham Festival 23, and confirmed funding from Arts Council England, local artists Elizabeth ‘Zeddie’ Lawal and Mukhtar Dar have joined the Festival team as Artistic Associates.

Mukhtar and Zeddie have been working closely with Creative Director, Raidene Carter and the wider producing team to bring their broad experience, perspective and knowledge of the city’s cultural communities to help ensure a varied and exciting Festival programme that is relevant to the city’s diverse audiences.

Both artists were involved in Birmingham 2022 Festival activities last year and their role this year has already seen their direct involvement in decision-making and influencing how the festival shapes up, with a particular nod to supporting new talent. Each will also present specially curated work in the programme which will be revealed in late June.

On Saturday 29 July partner organisations Sampad’s takeover explores the theme of Home From Home. With a day-long programme featuring live music, dance and spoken word it will be a celebration of the lives and creativity of the city. Vibrant and colourful it will bring together a hugely diverse array of artists, performers and communities that represent generations of people who have made this city their home. There will be time to reminisce and reflect on inherited cultural traditions and also to look towards a bright future with pride and ambition.

Dance takes centre stage on Sunday 30 July as FABRIC, the region’s strategic dance development organisation, takes over Centenary Square with EveryBody Dancing, an exciting programme of amazing dance full of free opportunities to get involved.

The highlight of the day will be a specially commissioned new work by ZoieLogic Dance Theatre co-created with Critical Mass Dance Collective (CMDC), the inclusive dance company featuring an integrated cast with people identifying as D/deaf, Disabled and non-disabled. Directed by Zoie Golding and supported by Dance Development Leaders Group, the new show is funded by United by 22, whose mission is to maintain the momentum of the Commonwealth Games across the whole of the West Midlands.

On Saturday 5 August ACE dance and music, the Birmingham-based, Black-led, contemporary dance company, presents Carnival is Colour. Witness a collage of carnival colour, dance, and the pulsating rhythms of Trinidad as vibrant costumes soar, amidst the backdrop of a Community Mass Choir led by Black Voices, and Dutch Marching Band Eternity Percussion, as they fill Centenary Square with the magical energy. ACE dance and music invites you to experience the  sights and sounds of Caribbean Carnival extravaganza in full swing.

Commissioned and supported by Birmingham City Council to celebrate the city’s creativity, and as a sign of its ongoing commitment to funding culture, Birmingham Festival 23 will take over Centenary Square from Fri 28 July - Sun 6 August.

A 10 day programme of free events that showcases the city’s rich cultural offer will be announced in June.  When the Festival was announced, an open call to submit ideas for the Made In Brum strand of the programme was announced and in less than a month had hundreds of applications - the full Made In Brum programme will be announced in June.

The Festival will echo the city-centre experience of the Games with live music and performance, creative and participatory activities, and big-screen content to conjure the shared experiences, magic and memories of the summer of 2022.  The Festival also serves to celebrate the city’s creativity through programming committed to diversity, inclusion and homegrown talent and will be another bold showcase of Birmingham’s talent, character and reputation as a world-class destination for major events.

For more information, visit: birminghamfestival23.co.uk