Nottingham to host major black arts showcase in celebration of Black History Month

Ten artists from across the Midlands will bring a powerful celebration of Black history, identity and culture to Nottingham Arts Theatre for the final date of 2Funky Arts' four-city And Still I Rise tour. Sign up to our weekly newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Worksop Guardian, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. Subscription Offers Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Featuring dance, spoken word, poetry, rap and song, the production will showcase original work created by midlands' artists from Black, African and Caribbean backgrounds, exploring the experiences, conversations and issues shaping Black life today. And I Rise comes to Nottingham in October as part of Black History Month. Photo: Submitted Vijay Mistry, 2Funky Art's director, commented: 'This project represents a unique platform for up-and-coming artists to explore issues around Black history and culture. "We are really excited to celebrate their talent in another Mmidlands tour, which promises to be both thought-provoking and impactful.' The full And Still I Rise line-up includes Nottingham's own Maia Sudha, a pop and soul vocalist whose music blends powerful vocal performance with deeply personal storytelling. Drawing inspiration from soul, pop and R&B, she creates songs that combine honest lyricism and vocal expression. As an emerging artist in the Nottingham scene, she is currently preparing for the release of her debut single, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter in her artistic journey. Another local voice comes from Alexis Florentina, a black and Filipino poet, playwright and fiction writer who is originally from Florida, but now resides in Nottingham and is a proud member of GOBS and the Nottingham Black Creatives Network. Alexis has recently completed a diploma in creative writing at Oxford University. Her poems were shortlisted for the 2025 Heidelberg Author Award and published with Nottingham Writers Studio. She has had a flash fiction piece published online with Mslexia. In addition to this, Alexis has performed poetry for the 2026 Nottingham Poetry Festival, and in 2025 at the Hockley Hustle, Dot to Dot Festival and Nottingham Playhouse. The project comes to Nottingham Arts Theatre on October 29. Visit nottingham-theatre.co.uk/NottinghamArtsTheatre.dll/WhatsOn?f=2437147 for tickets.