DIASPORA!

Join us for a celebration of cultural diversity, community and creativity across Bristol and the South West

Our creatives in residence, Diverse Artists Network (DAN) are bringing back DIASPORA!,  a landmark, not-for-profit festival from 1 to 10 May 2026. Following the success of the pilot festival in 2024, this year’s DIASPORA! is a 10 day showcase of extraordinary talent, heritage and creative ingenuity across diverse, international communities. 

Arnolfini is hosting a range of workshops, events, performances, and the DIASPORA! Exhibition, as part of this unmissable festival.

DIASPORA! Programme at Arnolfini

Out of Many – DIASPORA! Exhibition

2 May – 26 July, Gallery 5, second floor

From poetry, painting, and photography, to textile, illustration and moving image, this exhibition celebrates the vibrant world of the Diverse Artist Network. 

Community Workshop: Flow & Radiate

Tuesday 5 May, 11am–12.30pm, pay what you can, ages 18+

Are you feeling stuck in your creative process or unsure how to start a new idea? Join movement facilitator, Viola Bruni, for this 90-minute workshop using embodiment and meditation to help you gain clarity.  No previous experience is required, just a willingness to explore. Please wear comfortable clothes. This is an accessible, trauma-informed space with a rest corner available for those who need a break.  

This session will take place in Arnolfini’s Community Workshop (Floor 2). Pay what you can to book your place.

ATTIC Teas: Breathe & Brew

Thursday 7 May, 11.30am–1.30pm 
Parents and carers with young children, Age: 12+ (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult) 

A contemplative and guided tea experience to nourish the body, soothe the mind and excite the spirit, led by ATTIC Teas co-founder, Anne Sheekey.

Tea has long held a sacred place in the heart of Eastern culture. This Breathe & Brew session will begin with mindfully drinking tea and using grounding breath to connect to the healing effects of the tea’s calming compounds. You’ll also explore the latest Arnolfini exhibition, A land as big as her skin by Mounira Al Solh, and contemplate your own journey, linking to themes of migration and travel.  
No prior experience needed. 

This session will take place in Arnolfini’s Community Workshop (Floor 2). Pay what you can to book your place. 

Raise the Bar: Poems of Diaspora

Thursday 7 May, 7.30  — 9.30

Raise the Bar presents Poems of Diaspora! — an evening of powerful voices spanning four continents, featuring headline poets Daljit Nagra, Maureen Onwunali, Bohdan Piasecki and Chloe Tenesha Giles, alongside Raise the Bar’s resident DJ spinning global sounds.

Book tickets

 

Desi Day

Saturday 9 May, 11am–6.30pm

Various activities for all ages
Join us for a day of workshops, food and performances celebrating the Desi (South Asian) Diaspora.   

• 11am–1pm 
  Bristol Baithaks: Morning Ragas, Theatre (PWYC, 12+) 

• 11am–1pm  
  Empowering Women Through Menopause Awareness, Reading Room: (Free, 18+) 

• 2–4pm 
  Desi Futurism DJ Workshop, Community Workshop (Free, 14+)

• 2–6pm 
  Baisakhi: A Desi New Year & Spring Festival, Theatre (Free, open to all ages)

• 2–4pm in Reading Room: Baisakhi-themed Arts & Crafts for Kids (FRee, open to all ages)

• 6–6.30pm 
  Indian Man Desi Futurism DJ set, Theatre (Free, open to all ages – final part of Baisakhi)

Sunday 10 May, 11am–4pm

• 11am–1pm 
  Dance with the Armenian Alphabet, Theatre (16+)

This creative workshop explores Armenian culture, language and memory through contemporary dance improvisation. Each letter of the Armenian alphabet becomes an inspiration for movement, and each sound carries a memory. 

Through individual and collective exploration, the workshop invites people of all ages and experience levels to discover how language, sound and memory can move through the body. Pay what you can to book your place.

• 2–4pm  
  DIASPORA! 26 closing water ceremony and singalong (all ages),  Theatre

Join the Diverse Artists Network and friends for an afternoon of arts, crafts and ritual, to mark the closing of DIASPORA! 26. Come and connect with the spirit of the Avon river through the power of making, ceremony and song. 

This event begins with an interactive workshop, crafting items for an altar, and ends with a dedicated song for the water: a gesture of gratitude, love and respect for the river.  

This ceremony marks the end of DIASPORA! 26, but there’s more to enjoy throughout the evening. Check the full festival programme for details.

Diverse Artists Network

Diverse Artists Network (DAN) is a development agency for diversity in the arts, promoting cultural competency and representation in the sector. Founded in 2018 to advance cultural equity and representation in the arts, brings together creatives, venues and…

Read More