A small independent festival in Monmouthshire will have a truly global flavour this weekend (17-20 July) - as some of the most exciting names in East African music and art descend on Wales.
Thanks to support from the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, Big Love Festival has developed a partnership with Uganda’s acclaimed Nyege Nyege Festival, known globally for its adventurous music programming and bold visual style.
The collaboration first took shape in late 2024, when members of the Big Love creative team travelled to Uganda to work on the Nyege Nyege site - sharing skills, co-creating installations, and forging connections with artists, craftspeople and performers. This week, that exchange comes full circle, as four Uganda-based artists arrive in Monmouthshire to help transform Big Love into a celebration of cross-cultural creativity.
“We’ve got an amazing group from Uganda coming over,” said Big Love’s Creative Director, David Robertson. “Regan Kandole - a visual artist and metalworker - landed last week and is already on-site welding scrap metal into a large sculpture. He’s working alongside our UK team to decorate the woods and create a mural along the fence line that will also include a tribute to Rina, a much-loved Ugandan designer who sadly passed away earlier this year.
“She was a huge part of the Nyege Nyege community and had worked closely with us during our visit to Uganda. The mural is our way of honouring her creativity and the connection we built together. Her presence will still be felt across the site.”
Joining Reagan next week are three genre-defying musical artists from the Nyege Nyege collective. Catu Diosis, a Ugandan producer, rapper and DJ, is known for her fearless fusion of global bass, Afro rhythms and electrifying energy. She is joined by R3ign Drops, a founding member of the Afro Femme collective Dope Gal and one half of the DJ duo Black Sistarz, whose powerful club sets blend genres and push boundaries. The third artist, PÖ, is a Ghanaian-French producer, vocalist and DJ whose afrocentric live performances and DJ sets span everything from dancehall and Brazilian funk to experimental electronic music, noise rap and post-punk soundscapes.
The trio will take over the festival’s Fire Truck Stage - a converted fire engine - on Sunday (20 July) evening, closing out the weekend with a high-energy showcase of East Africa’s underground scene.
In addition to their performances, there will also be graffiti and street art workshops for children and families, encouraging festival-goers to get involved in creating colourful, East African-inspired artwork.
Speaking about what audiences can expect, David said: "Our audience is really broad-minded and open to discovering new sounds. They’re excited about this takeover- it’s quite a big deal for us. The artists from Uganda bring a vibrant East African flavour to contemporary electronic music that’s fresh but deeply rooted in their culture. People who’ve been to Nyege Nyege Festival before are already reaching out, so it has a great international reputation. Festival-goers can expect something dynamic, energetic, and very different - something that truly connects Wales with the world through music and art."
And for David, the collaboration goes far beyond one weekend.
He said: “Collaborating with artists and refugees in Uganda really opened our eyes to different ways of working and thinking. There’s a lot of ingenuity and vibrancy in the local communities and we’re proud to bring some of that spirit back here - not just in the music, but in the art and how the festival looks and feels.
“This is just the beginning. We’ve just secured funding to develop a ‘World in Wales’ theme, and the partnership with Nyege Nyege - made possible by the British Council - helped unlock that. We want Big Love to reflect the richness of Welsh identity, including the stories and sounds of diaspora communities. Our audience is curious and open-minded, and we want to keep surprising them.”
The Big Love team also hopes to return to Uganda to continue working with Nyege Nyege and other East African creatives.
“We’ve built real friendships,” said David. “We want to keep that connection alive and growing.”
The British Council’s International Collaboration Grants were launched to support partnerships between UK and international artists, promoting creativity, mutual exchange, and long-term global relationships.
Ruth Cocks, Director, British Council Wales, praised the collaboration. She said: “Big Love Festival’s partnership with East African artists is a fantastic example of the kind of cultural exchange our International Collaboration Grants are designed to encourage. By sharing skills alongside musical and artistic talent, this project builds lasting connections and enriches both communities. We’re excited to see how this evolving relationship develops in Wales and beyond.”
Big Love Festival runs 17–20 July 2025 in Monmouthshire.
For more information and tickets visit: www.biglovefestival.co.uk
To find out more about the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants, visit: https://arts.britishcouncil.org/projects/international-collaboration-grants