Manchester International Festival’s Young People’s Forum invites you to discuss how to bring about change in the arts sector in the wake of Black Lives Matter.

Following the Black Lives Matter movement across the World the MIF Young People’s Forum, a collective of individuals from Greater Manchester aged between 16 and 28, came together to explore how to effect change within the arts sector in Manchester. ‘The first step is an event which will bring together industry leaders and other voices from across the cultural sector in Manchester to celebrate the solidarity shown by the Black community, discuss positive actions that have been taken by business and other organisations, and consider how and where to inspire change.

At the heart of the event will be five brilliant young people who will showcase their activism expressed through a variety of different disciplines and art forms. Speakers will include:

• Tunde Adekoya, creative producer and founder of Big People Music
• Heba Ahmed, college student and co-founder of Manchester March
• Zamzam Ibrahim, climate activist and former President of the National Union of Students
• Ella Mothi, creative director and videographer
• Olivia Lee, project coordinator, young activist and member of the MIF Young People’s Forum

Taking place on Thursday 30 July from 11am-12.30pm via Zoom, the event is free but capacity is limited. To confirm your place, please register for a ticket here. We encourage each cultural leader to bring with them a young person that has worked with their organisation to join the conversation. We hope to see you there.