All Shades Of Brown 2026 Delivers Landmark Gathering For Global Majority Creatives In The Midlands

All Shades of Brown 2026 brought together a record number of creatives, cultural leaders and changemakers from across the country for a powerful day of collective learning, solidarity and action at The Venue, De Montfort University.

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Spearheaded by Opal22 Arts and Edutainment, All Shades of Brown, which took place on the 5th February at De Montfort University, is the Midlands’ first and only creative industries conference created by and for creatives from the global majority. Returning for its second edition, attendees travelled from across the UK for an event that aimed to reclaim space, amplify regional talent, and confront the systemic inequalities that continue to shape the UK’s creative economy.

Attendees commented “This is a fantastic event! Really engaging panel, beautiful and thought-provoking artwork” and “How gorgeous is it to ‘not’ be the only brown face in the space! Thank you”

Headlined by British art legend Keith Piper, whose keynote reflected on five decades of artistic activism and the unfinished work of equity within the UK’s cultural landscape, the day combined critical dialogue with practical insight. Sector leaders including Abid Hussain (Arts Council England) and leading income generation consultant Siobhan Harper-Nunes joined artists Jade Foster and Jagdish Patel to interrogate structural inequalities, authenticity in practice and the future of funding and leadership for Black and Brown creatives in the Midlands.

For 2026 panellist Jagdish Patel, the significance of the gathering extended well beyond the formal programme: “Attending and presenting at Opal22 highlighted the importance of being in shared space with a broadly intergenerational and demographically diverse community of people of colour. While the formal workshops offered structured moments of learning, equally significant insights emerged through informal conversations beyond these sessions. These exchanges enabled ideas to be tested, connections to be made, histories to be shared, and lived experience thought about.

The event organisers had thought through how learning is not confined to programmed activity but is generated through relational encounters and the formation of alliances — and the choice of venue was perfect for this to happen. Opal22 have created something special and the event is a vital space for collective learning, solidarity, and the deepening of intellectual and political commitments, which are often left out of art practice discussions.”

Beyond the panels and keynotes, All Shades of Brown 2026 delivered tangible outcomes for Midlands-based creatives. Twelve exhibited artists took part in the public exhibition, with two — Abigaél Rose and Sunny Gill — selected to host their own exhibitions at Leicester Gallery at DMU in partnership with Opal22. The opportunity marks a significant career development milestone and demonstrates the conference’s commitment not only to dialogue but to direct advancement of local talent.

The cultural programme extended further through live poetry from Imani Wenham, film screenings by Warren Murray and spoken word performance from Anthony Ekundayo Lenon, reinforcing the event’s dedication to showcasing multidisciplinary creative voices from the region.

At a time when national statistics continue to show stark underrepresentation of Black and global majority creatives within the UK’s cultural workforce, All Shades of Brown stands as a deliberate intervention and demonstrated the power of convening those who are too often isolated across institutions and cities.

In doing so, Opal22 continues to build a growing movement, firmly establishing the ‘room where it happened’ for global majority creatives, and sending a clear message: this space matters, and it is only just beginning.