Musicians, writers, dancers and visual artists from across Africa are among the 1,000 young artists arriving in Nottingham, UK, today (7 September) for the first World Event Young Artists, a new international arts festival taking place from 7-16 September. Artists from 100 nations have been selected to take part in this 10-day unprecedented showcase of creative talent, with exhibitions and performances in 30 world-class venues and alternative spaces across the city.
 
They include young people from Cameroon, Congo, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The artists, all aged between 18 and 30, work across every art form – from visual art, music, dance and photography to film, spoken word, theatre and gastronomy.
 
Highlights include Francisca Msisha (aka Franciar) and Chaka Nyathando (aka Pompi Lotahouse), singers from Zambia who mix R’n’B and dancehall to energetic effect, Saara Nekomba, a visual artist from Namibia whose dance inspired beaded textiles recreate the movements of traditional ceremonial dances unique to the Ndonga people, and 20 performance students from University of Pretoria’s Arts Department, South Africa.

So if you're in or around Nottingham and are after African inspiration you should head down to this amazing new arts fiesta!