Wishing you a warm welcome to Manchester for the 5th decibel Performing Arts Showcase and Creative Case Symposium, England’s leading event for excellent diverse work and the Arts Council’s biggest ever discussion on diversity and equality in practice.

We’re delighted to be hosted again by some of Manchester’s most prestigious venues and to help you get around we’ve clustered performances together, by venue, by art form and by day, with complimentary buses between locations.

During the week, which begins with the Creative Case Symposium, you will
be treated to some of the most exciting new work that our country has to offer, alongside a packed programme of networking opportunities and discussions.

Over the four days of Showcase you’ll see presentations by 50 artists and
companies addressing issues from the public (the Olympics, the NHS, global
culture) to the personal (love, identity, mental health and disability). Many
employ innovative digital approaches to provide modern twists on age-old
theatre, puppetry, dance, music and spoken word.

Showcase is not just about the shows though – it is a vibrant forum to meet
imaginative and talented artists and arts professionals. We are delighted to
welcome delegates from China, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Mauritius and
India, bringing their unique international perspectives, and we’ve curated an
exciting programme of events for you to get to know each other better.

Market place returns, with the opportunity for you to meet and talk with a
wider range of artists and companies in the sector, as do the popular morning meetings. For the fi rst time these are complemented by series of inspiring decibel Talks, panel discussions on themes arising from The Creative Case and daily Kaffe klatsch critical sessions. For national portfolio organisations attending, there will be a Q&A session on Arts Council England’s new touring policy and the British Council will be on hand to provide advice about working internationally.

Finally we would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has made
showcase possible again, whether behind the scenes or in the stalls. We look forward to hearing more about your own stories of diversity and ideas for creative excellence throughout the week.

Yours sincerely

Tony Panayiotou
Director of Diversity
Arts Council England

Nike Jonah
Senior Diversity Officer
decibel Project Manager