Sheba Festival 2026 - Longsight Arts Space

A celebration of culture, creativity, and community, co-created with artists and local residents to amplify diverse voices and stories. Building on themes of healing, unity, and recognition, the festival aims to create a joyful, inclusive space that honours heritage, storytelling, and resilience within migrant and diaspora communities. Taking place at Longsight Art Space, the festival will offer a blend of live performances, workshops, exhibitions, and communal activities that connect generations and cultures through art, food, and collective storytelling.
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The Theme of the festival: what you have told us:
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Through our consultancy sessions and online surveys, we asked what you would like to see at the next Sheba Festival. Here’s what you told us:

• Storytelling is vital for preserving history and identity, a way for generations to remember their experiences and culture. Storytelling and political consciousness are deeply connected. Sharing stories from different cultures and exploring decolonisation through narratives and history help us understand the links between cultures.
  
  
• We need stories to express issues such as the hostile rhetoric towards the refugee and migrant people.
  
  
• Transphobia is a product of colonialism rather than an inherent part of any society. Colonial empires and their imposed moral frameworks have shaped how trans people are treated in some places today. Storytelling can reveal the diversity of human experience and show that trans people have always existed across cultures, rejecting the idea that being trans is ‘new’ or ‘unnatural’.

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• You want the festival to be a celebration of joy and togetherness, not sadness: a space that focuses on hope, courage, and collective strength rather than trauma. As one participant said: “Let’s celebrate our stories. Even if it’s about migration, let’s make it a story of creativity and learning.”​

Call for Festival Commissions

​We are excited to announce an open call for artists and communities from Greater Manchester to create a piece of work or deliver an activity responding to the theme of our upcoming Sheba festival. 
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The next Sheba Festival will be a space for reflection and creativity, inviting artists and communities to share their stories and heritage. Through performance, visual art, music, and dialogue, the programme will amplify experiences of courage, memory, and belonging, opening pathways for healing, understanding, and collective imagination. We invite artists, curators, and community groups to submit a proposal outlining what they would like to create or do. You can apply to produce a piece of work for the exhibition, to perform, or to lead workshops or events. We provide mentoring and production support to help bring your ideas to life.
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To apply, please click on the relevant image below and complete the form. Please share previous examples of work by uploading files or providing links. We will be in touch after the deadline (30 November). 

Frequently asked questions:

Here you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions. 

What is the overall theme of Sheba Festival 2026?
The festival is centred around themes of storytelling, healing, unity and recognition, specifically within migrant and diaspora communities. 

When will the festival take place?
The festival will be held in the third week of June 2026. 

Who can apply for a commission?
Artists, curators, and community groups from Greater Manchester are invited to submit proposals for creating work or delivering activities. No previous experience is required for smaller commissions, making the opportunity accessible to emerging artists and first-time applicants.

What types of work or activity are eligible?
You can apply to produce a piece of work for the exhibition, perform (live performances, music, theatre etc), or lead workshops or events. Your proposed activity should align with the festival’s theme. If it’s a workshop you’ve delivered before, please explain what new elements you plan to introduce and how this version differs from previous ones.

What support does Sheba Arts provide for those commissioned?
We offer mentoring and production, mentoring and marketing support to help bring the ideas to life. 

Can I apply as part of a group or collective? 
Yes. Groups, collectives, or collaborations are welcome, but please nominate one lead applicant to handle communication and payment.

What information must applicants include in their submission?
Applicants are encouraged to share examples of their previous work by providing links, and to complete the relevant form (for artists or community groups) using the link provided. If you don’t have previous experience, a short bio describing your background and interests will be sufficient.

Can I submit more than one proposal?
You may submit multiple ideas, but we recommend focusing on one strong, well-developed proposal.

Can I include international collaboration?
Collaborative or cross-cultural ideas are encouraged, but please ensure the project remains deliverable within the festival’s budget and timeframe.

Do I need to live in Greater Manchester?
Yes. These commissions are for artists, curators, and community groups based in Greater Manchester.

What access and inclusion measures should I consider?
Activities should be inclusive and accessible to diverse audiences, including those with lived experience of migration, disability, or language barriers.

Who owns the work created for the festival?
Artists retain ownership of their work but agree to Sheba Arts using documentation (e.g. photos, video) for promotional and evaluation purposes.

What if I need help writing my application?
Sheba Arts can offer guidance sessions or informal chats to help applicants shape their ideas before submission.

What does good budgeting look like?
A good budget clearly shows how funds will be used. We expect to see an artist fee, materials cost, travel expenses, and any other relevant costs. If you include a contingency budget, it should be no more than 3% of the total budget.

How will proposals be selected?
Proposals will be assessed for creativity, relevance to the festival theme, community engagement, and feasibility within the available budget and timeline.

What is the timeline for the commissions?
Projects will be developed between early 2026 and summer 2026, with presentations during the festival period.

Sheba Community Consultation Group

The Community Consultation Group is made up of seven dedicated community members who came together to share their ideas, experiences, and creative visions for the upcoming festival. Their insights have been central to shaping the festival’s themes of storytelling, healing, and collective strength. Each member brings a unique cultural and professional perspective, from music and poetry to theatre and community engagement.
They will play an active role in guiding and evaluating our work and the festival’s development, ensuring it remains community-led, inclusive, and truly reflective of the voices it represents.
If you'd like to become a member of this cohort, please email Sepideh at [email protected]

Members: Cansu Han, Ahmed Elzber, Ibrahim Bangura, Evelyn Mbuluku, Oluwatobi Alapelode, Malini Sachdeva-Masson, Iman Javaid