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The Midlands’ Leading Conference for Black, Brown & Global Majority Creatives

 

All Shades of Brown 2026 returns on Thursday 5 February 2026 at The Venue @ De Montfort University (Leicester).

This is the Midlands’ essential creative industries conference for Black, Brown, and Global Majority creatives, and for anyone serious about building a more equitable, sustainable cultural sector. Produced by Opal22 Arts and Edutainment, the one-day conference brings together artists, filmmakers, performers, curators, educators, students, producers, funders, and creative entrepreneurs for practical insight, professional development, and meaningful connection.

The event features a headline keynote from pioneering artist Keith Piper (BLK Art Group) and high-impact panels with senior sector voices, including Abid Hussain (Diversity Director at Arts Council England) and Jennifer Francis (Museum Director at Turner House), making this a rare chance to learn from the people shaping the UK creative sector.

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Why This Conference Exists

The creative industries remain deeply unequal.

Only 10% of UK creative industry jobs exist across the Midlands, while almost 30% remain concentrated in London. For creatives outside the capital, especially Black and Brown creatives, this imbalance translates into reduced opportunities, underfunding, and exclusion from decision-making spaces.

In one of the UK’s most diverse regions, including cities such as Leicester, Birmingham, and Nottingham, Global Majority creatives are forced to navigate both geographic marginalisation and systemic inequality.

All Shades of Brown exists to challenge this imbalance.

 

What You’ll Get From the Day

This is not a passive conference.

Expect:

• Expert-led panels and workshops tackling systemic barriers and regional inequality

• Honest conversations about identity, authenticity, and creative survival

• Practical tools for building long-term creative careers in the Midlands

• Direct access to cultural organisations, funders, and sector leaders

• Networking spaces designed for real connection, not surface-level exchange

You’ll leave with clarity, contacts, and momentum.

All Shades of Brown centres the experiences of Black, Brown, and Global Majority creatives, while remaining open to anyone committed to inclusive, future-focused creative industries.

 

 

Tickets & Access

Reduced-rate Student & Emerging Talent tickets are available to ensure access for early-stage creatives. All tickets include full conference access.

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If you care about who gets funded, who gets seen, and who gets to build a sustainable creative career in the Midlands, this is a room you need to be in.

 

5 February 2026

10am – 5pm

The Venue @ De Montfort University, Leicester