PEOPLE from different cultural backgrounds will gather in Bradford for a discussion on the British Empire and the wider effects of colonialism, identity, revolution and belonging.

The talk, part of Bradford Literature Festival, will focus on issues affecting black and Asian communities, from the days of the British Empire to the present.

It will be hosted by Bradford-based theatre company Tribe Arts, comprised of black and Asian actors who focus on "performance discussions" challenging ideas.

It started out in 2013, as a collective set up by a group of actors who met working on a research and development project at Bradford's Theatre in the Mill.

The theatre company's first project is called Tribe Talks.

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"It is a forum of open dialogue and knowledge, where communities can come together to talk, deliberate, discuss, argue and fathom out the topics," said Tajpal Rathore, co-founder and artistic director of Tribe Arts.

"We are a philosophically-inspired, radical political theatre company, an impassioned collective of emerging artists who seek to break barriers and boundaries within society that shackle development, revolution and enlightenment."

Last year Tribe Arts was given an award by West Yorkshire Playhouse and Musical Theatre Network for Best Emerging Musical Theatre.

"Tribe Talks aims to be unafraid about unravelling the truth about the past, while being fearless to take a step into a more enlightened future," Mr Singh said.

The event, which fuses discussion with performance, music and a three-course meal, is the first in a series of talks aimed at revealing hidden stories and histories. Audiences will help to shape performance works resulting from the talks, which provide a cultural framework for people to come together, share experiences and discuss topics of interest.

The first Bradford Literature Festival, from May 15-24, celebrates the district's literary and cultural diversity with a range of events. The ten-day festival is aimed at boosting literacy levels, promoting cultural diversity, health and wellbeing, and encouraging people into the city centre.

Cultural diversity is a major strand of the festival, and race issues will be addressed in panel discussions and talks on subjects such as Islam, feminism among Muslim women and terrorism.

"We will provide safe, neutral spaces for dialogue and debate, so people can talk about such issues such as racial tolerance and women in the tabloid press," said co-organiser Syima Aslam.

Tribe Talks is at the National Media Museum on Wednesday, May 13, at 7pm. For tickets or more information go to tribearts.co.uk.

For more about Bradford Literature Festival go to bradfordliteraturefestival.co.uk.