The RISE Collective

DIASPORA! X RAISING THE RED DRESS 🥻

Over ten days in May, RISE’s team of aspiring journalists were in Bristol to explore DIASPORA! 2026 - a festival produced by Diverse Artists Network

❤️The 5th of May marks Red Dress Day.

Red Dress Day is the National Day of Remembrance and call to action, honouring the missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit People.

The movement began with the REDress Project, created in 2010 by Metis artist Jaime Black. The Red Dress has become a powerful symbol of Indigenous women and girls whose lives were taken across Canada and stand as a symbol of solidarity, support and awareness of the loved ones and a continual call to justice❤️‍🩹

During DIASPORA! festival, Red Dress Crafters ran a workshop to remember the women who’s lives had been lost, writing messages on second hand dresses and creating a collective outdoor installation across Totterdown.

A powerful tribute to the indigenous women and a curation of meaningful art across Bristol.

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The Diverse Artists Network creates opportunities for marginalised artists, helping to ensure they’re seen, heard and paid. We worked with them on DIASPORA!
2024 and 2026, creating youth-led content that explored the festival’s programme🎪

If you’d like to work with RISE on a project or event to showcase your creativity, drop us a dm!📩

25.06.2026 - 9AM - 11AM - UK FUNKY: THE HOUSE THAT RAISED ME🏡🪇⭐️

yessssss radicle radio crew !! we are so back 🔥this month you can expect a deep dive into the origins of the Black British Genre that shaped a generation of nightlife, day parties and radio stations. From the likes of Rinse FM fm HOUSE FM & 💋

Pre-Internet UK meant that we were all growing up listening to the sounds of our parents speakers in cars, kitchens and parties. Our host Aisha Campbell grew up to the sounds of soulful house, UK Garage and Funky.

She will be tracing the sound from its underground original to its takeover of the dancefloor in 2026, exploring how it carried the community of Black British Youth through dance, a brand new genre and the curation of a movement 🕺

From deep female vocalists, to high percussion- expect a summer morning taking you right back to 2006 ⭐️

another amazing piece for our radicle radio show designed by Mica Chapman 🩵

Stream on the 25.06.2026

✨ RADICLE RADIO - A DIASPORA! SPECIAL✨

Tune in tonight on at 6pm for a special episode of Radicle Radio, as we take a deep dive into , the Bristol-based festival celebrating cultural diversity through the arts, presented by the incredible . Since its official launch on Friday 1 May, this multi-venue, city-wide event has platformed more than 100 marginalised artists from global diaspora communities. 

Radicle Radio takes its name from the part of a seed that anchors the root, helping the plant unfold, flourish and bloom. Hosts and producers and trace the sparks of different musical genres and movements through the emotional, social and political undercurrents of their time.

In this special programme, explores the roots of DIASPORA!, what it stands for, how it began, and what it means to Bristol and the wider south west region.

Huge thanks to Aisha and Tyreece, Ujima Radio CIC, Compass Presents and the Diverse Artists Network for making this episode possible. It's been great to work together on the festival and the show!

Our amazing team of aspiring journalists have been out and about across the festival, to capture its spirit and vibe. Keep an eye out for more DIASPORA! content coming up in the next few weeks.