We’re thrilled to share that Tricia Arthur-Stubbs, founder of Swirl Education and producer of BRAVE Festival, has been selected for the Nairobi Producer Exchange as part of the Bridges Fellowship programme.
The Nairobi Producer Exchange is an international programme delivered by Bradford Producing Hub (UK) and the Bridges Fellowship programme (Kenya) in partnership with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Producer Hub (USA), with support from The British Council. It’s a fully funded opportunity for a Bradford-based producer from the African Diaspora to participate in an international exchange and training programme, with residencies in both Bradford, UK and Nairobi, Kenya.
Tricia is an experienced dance practitioner and community producer whose work celebrates the richness of African and Caribbean cultures through joyful, inclusive performance. She has been leading dance workshops for over 18 years and is the driving force behind BRAVE Festival (Black Roots and Voices Expressed) – a Bradford arts festival championing art forms with roots in Black culture.
“I am really excited to have been accepted into the Nairobi Producer Exchange Programme. It will be a fantastic step forward for my career. I’m looking forward to learning more about marketing, programming and fundraising, which will directly benefit BRAVE Festival. I am looking forward to the international connections that will be made through this programme and to seeing how they will influence the BRAVE Festival in the coming years. As the leader of the Cultural Voice Forum’s Black Arts Network, I will be able to feed all of my learning straight back into Black Artists to benefit this community.”
Tricia’s heritage from Trinidad and Tobago deeply informs her creative practice, particularly her specialism in Caribbean Carnival Dance, Soca. Her work spans schools, communities, and large-scale festivals, grounded in the belief that dance should be fun, accessible, and a force for positive change.
As part of the exchange, Tricia will collaborate with African producers, participate in online training and mentorship, and bring her learning back to Bradford to feed directly into BRAVE Festival and her wider work with Black artists across the district. Tricia’s vision is to build lasting connections between African and Caribbean arts, artists, and audiences, and this exchange marks an exciting new chapter in that journey.
"I am thrilled that Tricia will be joining our Bridges Fellowship programme and engaging in meaningful exchange with creative producers from across the African continent. This is exactly the kind of cultural and social network we need to foster, to strengthen connections between Africa and the African diaspora. Tricia's insights and wealth of experience will be extremely valuable to the cohort. I look forward to seeing how the producing fellows engage in meaningful discussions around the challenges and joys of producing African work across the continent and in the global playing field."
“We’re so excited to partner on the Nairobi Producer Exchange and proud to offer this opportunity for a Bradford-based artist from the African Diaspora to connect with their heritage through their creative practice. This kind of international exchange not only nurtures meaningful connections but also expands artistic ambitions in ways that have a lasting impact. We’re delighted to have selected Tricia for this programme and can’t wait to see how the experience shapes BRAVE Festival and her work as a producer.”
You can explore more of Tricia’s work at swirleducation.co.uk
This programme is generously supported by:
- Bridges Producers Fellowship Programme
- Lagos Fringe – Kenneth Upopho
- The LAM Sisterhood
- Arts Emerson
- Georgetown Lab for Global Performance and Politics
- Producer Hub (USA)
- Mastercard Foundation
- Stanford University
- The Tank NYC
