New Birmingham festival celebrates diversity, inclusivity and gender balance.
TEG Live Europe have announced the launch of InterMission, a one-day multiroom festival featuring live music, sound workshops, industry talks and food stalls.
Taking place at The Mill in Digbeth on Saturday 22nd July, InterMission explores sounds from the UK’s leading Jazz, Afro, Global, Electronica and Hip Hop scenes. With diversity and inclusivity at its core, InterMission presents a culturally rich and gender-balanced event, celebrating music and creatives from underrepresented backgrounds.
The festival will run a day-to-night programme, featuring two stages of live music, a creative area with music industry lead talks, DJ workshops led by Pioneer, mental health workshops, an outdoor yard with food traders and stalls, and a roof top takeover from female & gender-minority DJ collectives.
With many more acts to be confirmed, acclaimed Jazz/Hip-Hop collective Steam Down already feature on the lineup, alongside Shy One, Tash LC, QuinzeQuinze, Hagan, TC and the Groove Family, GladeMarie, SANITY, Roseland En Why Cee, Nihiloxica, Ceeow, BootyBass, LYZZA, Grove, Selextorhood DJ Collective and Saffron Records Mix Nights DJ Collective.
The festival was programmed by TEG promoter and Founder of InterMission Festival Betty Adesanya. With over ten years of event experience within the UK and European festival sector, Betty is passionate about curating spaces for marginalised communities, paving the way for POC women within the industry.
Betty says, “I’m so excited for the launch of InterMission. Birmingham is such a culturally rich place, it was important to me that the festival program reflects this; a celebration of different people and artists coming together in a space that feels safe, that’s curated with them in mind. From personal experience, music festivals aren’t always a space that minorities feel included, so InterMission is an invitation for all to join.
“It’s been great to collaborate with local female and gender-minority collectives Selextorhood and Saffron Record’s: Mix Nights who’ll be hosting a roof-top takeover. We’ve announced some super talented artists already, some local, some international and there’s still more to come! There’s also the music education aspect of InterMission, with a great programme of workshops and talks planned; Pioneer will be running DJ skill sessions (for all levels) and our panel will be addressing some of the imbalances and barriers within the industry and inviting those who are interested in moving into the live music and events industry a chance to ask questions and explore experiences from a range of professionals.
“We need to keep pushing for more diverse and gender-balanced festival line-ups, but we also need to address the lack of black and minority promoters, agents, event managers, and live industry professionals running the shows. I’ve been working in the live music and festival industry for years and when it comes to the people at the top making the big decisions there is a long way to go.”
Event and ticket information can be found here.