Rizwan Iqbal

Creative Producer

Bridging the Gap Between Mainstream and Diverse Cultures

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Cultural Producer and Community Organiser: Rizwan Iqbal

Rizwan Iqbal is a cultural producer, community organiser, and visual artist with over 20 years of experience in working with grassroots communities in the North of England. Specialising in diverse art and culture, he uses an international approach to raise the aspirations and quality of art and culture across multi-disciplinary platforms, creating relevant connections to transform lives and experiences. His vision and ambition for artistic and cultural innovation have led him to collaborate with an array of artists and organisations to promote diversity and representation in the arts.

Image credit: Nathan D'Amour

Selected Projects

Salaam Festival

Rizwan is the lead curator and director for Salaam Festival which explores the future of Islamic art from around the world. Through the festival he aims to curate a platform for diverse artists and performers to showcase their work in music, dance and visual art, to inspire the next generation of audiences and increase the representation of artists and communities from minority ethnic cultures.
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Bruntwood

Developing a community programme and strategy for business customers across the city. Delivering a full, authentic and inclusive community programme tailored to business, creative and social needs of individuals and organisations that occupied new and old Bruntwood buildings in the city centre. This included digital and physical design of all content and connectivity across several key buildings in the city and a regular community programme for business customers to experience and network.
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Factory International / Manchester International Festival

Developing and delivering a groundbreaking project called 'Festival in My House' across Manchester and Greater Manchester. This involved co-designing and co-curating each micro-festival in homes and neighbourhoods with diverse communities and abilities. Supporting the wider vision of MIF/Factory International to ideate, produce and deliver a more diverse programme and outlook in the city in particular with South Asian and Muslim communities across Manchester.
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Love & Etiquette

A ten year project that saw the introduction of grass-root community projects and festivals with BAME artists and communities to increase representation and engagement in the arts sector as well as address health and well-being and community engagement priorities. Projects included workshops, exhibitions, live performances and collaborations with wider projects in Lancashire, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.
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Sundook

Sundook, translation: suitcase/trunk/chest, is a community project collecting and preserving memories of migration to Burnley by South Asian men aged 60+. Participants understood art and history through unpacking culture, collecting objects, resulting in a beautiful portrait exhibition and film. Sundook is a heritage and place-making project which promises to preserve local cultural narratives and stories in a modern chest of memories which will live on for generations.
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Freelance

Since 2022, I have successfully worked on several freelance roles and projects which are local to Manchester and Greater Manchester. These have included designing and curating programmes with diverse artist and communities in both outdoor and indoor settings. Work includes programming live music, theatre, festivals, conversations and workshops.
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Unveiling the Beauty of our Differences through Art and Culture

As a creative producer and artistic director, Rizwan Iqbal is dedicated to promoting and showcasing the richness and diversity of art and culture. Through his work, he aims to bridge the gap between different communities and bring people together through a shared love of creativity and expression.

With years of experience in the field, Rizwan has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing diverse artists and broader communities. He has worked with a wide range of organisations and individuals to create unique and engaging cultural projects that showcase the beauty and diversity of art and culture.

At the heart of Rizwan's work is a commitment to diversity and community engagement. He believes that art has the power to bring people together and break down barriers, and he is passionate about creating opportunities for diverse artists to share their talents and ideas with the wider world.

Whether you're an artist looking to collaborate on a project or an organisation looking to create a unique cultural experience, Rizwan has the skills and expertise to help you achieve your goals. From conceptualising and developing projects to managing budgets and logistics, Rizwan can provide a creative and comprehensive approach to your ideas and projects.

With Rizwan as your creative producer, you can be confident that your project will be handled with the utmost care and attention to detail. From start to finish, he will work with you to realise your vision and project.

Programme and project management
Artist development and ideation
Co-designing and co-curating projects
Cultural programming and community engagement

Get in touch

hello@ryzwaniqbal.com
ryzwaniqbal@gmail.com
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