News
Stay connected with the heartbeat of Leicester’s creative scene. This is your go-to space for the latest festival announcements, updates on our free youth music programs, and stories from our community heritage projects.
Whether we’re launching a new immersive exhibition or opening up our state-of-the-art rehearsal studios, you’ll find all our news right here as we continue to celebrate diversity and make the arts accessible to everyone.
Explore our latest Stories
Our celebration of jazz excellence returned to Leicester for its fifth year, bringing brilliant musicians, new sounds and audiences together from 13th – 15th of August 2026.
Created to grow jazz audiences and make music accessible to all, For the Love of Jazz is committed to decolonising jazz and affirming its roots in Black history and culture.
Thank you for coming to our events!
The festival opened with two fantastic events at Leicester Cathedral. [READ MORE]…
Once again, Cosmopolitan Arts Festival brought Leicester’s wonderfully diverse communities together in a vibrant celebration of music, dance, creativity and culture from around the world.
From hands-on jewellery-making and drumming activities to spectacular live performances, there was something for everyone to discover, enjoy and get involved in. The city centre came alive across four performance areas, showcasing an incredible mix of talent, creativity and rich cultural traditions. [READ MORE]…
We are incredibly excited to announce that we are a Youth Music funded partner and recipient of the Catalyser Grant!
Our Multidimensional Immersive Music Programme will work with young people aged 12-25 who are neurodivergent, to explore music and immersive technology. Over the next two years, children and young people will be supported by music leaders to make multidimensional music for an immersive, multisensory space. This space will tour schools and community venues across Leicester,
The project brings unique, accessible, and cutting-edge music-making opportunities to young neurodivergent people across the city.
We cannot wait to get started. Stay tuned for updates! This project is supported by Youth Music, thanks to National Lottery funding via Arts Council England.
Project Announcement: 100 Years of Jazz
We are very proud and excited to announce that we have received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund!
Our project will explore 100 years of jazz across the East Midlands. We will be working in Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln and Northampton. We will create a series of documentaries that will culminate in a regional tour, featuring an interactive, digital exhibition and jazz heritage show.
Expect it to be informative, creative, dazzling, unique and innovative in true Cosmopolitan Arts style!
We are looking for jazz musicians, performers, academics, journalists and more. If you are or were involved in the jazz scene, or have parents/grandparents who have a story to tell, please get in touch. We would like to interview people, see their photographs and films, and bring their stories to light
Empowering the Next Generation
A Huge Thank You to Hastings Direct!
We are delighted to announce that Hastings Direct has joined our mission to keep the arts accessible in Leicester with a generous £500 donation. This contribution is already at work, providing vital music tuition for five of our talented young performers. At Cosmopolitan Arts, we believe that financial barriers should never stand in the way of creativity—and with the support of our local business community, we’re making sure they don’t.
Equipment Secured!
This quarter, we secured the last round of equipment through Better Youth Spaces’ capital funding! We now have an array of specialist music equipment (including line-array PA system) and accessibility enhancements (changing table and ceiling track hoist) which will enable us to deliver stronger and more inclusive youth services.
