Surtal Arts, the long-established Derby organisation rooted in traditional South Asian arts, is spearheading a new family festival in the city and county which aims to bring together local communities and shine a light on hope for the future.
Derby Season of Light (DSOL) will include workshops, community events and arts performances between October and December – coinciding with major cultural and religious festivals including Eid, Diwali, Bonfire night and Christmas – which all share the common theme of ‘light’.
Through this theme of light, the festival will also celebrate city’s dazzling diversity and cohesion amongst local communities as well as honouring and paying tribute to the ongoing courage and dedication of NHS Staff and all key workers during the pandemic that have connected people through these most challenging of times.
Surtal Arts has developed an extensive festival programme involving a wide range of local people and professional artists.
The organisation has worked in partnership with Derby Live, Derby Museums, Air Arts, Junction Arts and No 28 community centre in Belper and Derby Season of Light is supported by Arts Council England, Derby City Council, Foundation Derbyshire, Community Action Derby, Belper Town Council and the National Lottery Community Fund.
Several of the activities have been organised and co-produced in partnership with Derby Museums and will take place at the new Museum of Making and the Museum and Art Gallery. These include a lantern workshops as part of Assemble: Derby’s Festival of Making on Saturday 23rd October and a ‘Stories of Diwali’ event as part of the Museum of Making’s new First Fridays late series on 5th November.
