Summer Season 2010
May-August
For further details about any of sampad’s events: visit www.sampad.org.uk or telephone 0121 446 3260
Copies of this programme are available in large print
sampad: promoting excellence and access in south asian arts since 1990
Welcome to this, our bumper Summer Season programme, packed full of extra-special events as we celebrate our 20th anniversary. We are delighted to be kicking off our programme with the re-opening of mac on May Bank Holiday Weekend. After two years of extensive renovation, we look forward to welcoming our audiences back to our new home at the greatly improved arts centre. I would like to thank the team at mac, whose hard work and commitment has made it all possible. We are looking forward to working with mac in the years ahead, and making the most of the fabulous new spaces. Of course, we will continue to work with our other partner venues, organisations and artists, to bring exciting and diverse south asian arts to as many people as possible across the West Midlands and beyond, and I am grateful for their continued support. We hope you can join us for our birthday celebrations in this milestone year. The Sampad Story exhibition begins at mac on 1 May, and will share our remarkable journey from 1990. This is accompanied by a limited edition book, featuring hundreds of previously unpublished images of performances, artists, press cuttings, behind-the-scenes rehearsals, anecdotes and philosophical gems, all contributed by the artists, producers and audiences who have helped to shape our first two decades. And don’t miss the big party at our Mela in July, as we bring you a whole day of brilliant arts workshops, stalls and performances for local communities, families and friends to come together and enjoy! Do also visit our website for up-to-date information on all our work at www.sampad.org.uk As you will see, there is much, much more to look forward to. Best wishes to you, Piali Ray OBE Director Opposite from clockwise Piali Ray - photograph by Ian Reynolds, Thresh Dance Company, Sonia Sabri, Anoushka Shankar, Peter Chand, Urban Jungli, Imran Khan
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Music Saturday 24 April, 7pm
Mandolin Medley A stunning performance brought to you by one of India’s favourite mandolin players, Pandit Sugato Bhaduri. Voted as best soloist at the Euro Festival 2006, Sugato is an All India Radio artist and regularly records soundtrack work for the cinema. Accompanied by Prabir Mitra, a tabla player who has received training from the legendary tabla maestros Kanai Dutta, Sanjot Mukherjee and Chandravaan. Venue
Arena Theatre, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1SE Tickets
£9 (£7 concessions) Ticket Office/Info
01902 321321 www.arenatheatre.info In association with The Nehru Centre Presented by Surdhwani & Art Asia
Pandit Sugato Bhaduri
Prabir Mitra
Saturday 1 - Monday 3 May 5.30pm & 10pm (Sat & Sun) 12noon (Mon)
Utopia
featuring Janavak International Dance Festival Birmingham and DanceXchange are working in partnership with sampad on this brand new commission for the 2010 Festival. Charged and vibrant, this folkloric celebration is an outdoor extravaganza unlike any other. Choreographed by Arthur Pita, Indian folk dance group Janavak will form part of a collective dance company alongside Russian, Spanish, and African folk dance groups, contemporary dancers, and Birmingham’s very own band The Destroyers. Venue
Victoria Square, Birmingham Tickets
FREE www.idfb.co.uk
Dance Photograph by Janavak
04 Information 0121 446 3260
Visual Art Saturday 1 May - Monday 30 August, 9am - 11pm
The Sampad Story This 20th anniversary exhibition takes you on a journey of south asian arts in Birmingham since 1990, told through the eyes of the artists, audiences and communities that sampad has worked with. Come and find out how from humble beginnings from its home at mac, sampad has transformed an annual festival into a year round programme. From large scale productions to intimate poetry sessions and participatory activities, sampad has been instrumental in developing and showcasing a wealth of south asian arts from the UK and abroad. You will see the many people and organisations that have helped to shape the past 20 years to create a deeper, richer experience of south asian arts for all. The exhibition is accompanied by The Sampad Story: a twenty year retrospective edited by Tasawar Bashir. Looking back over the company’s groundbreaking work, this insightful book will capture the struggle, the moments of joy and the spiritual journey that has contributed to shifting the British arts scene. Books are £4.99 and available from mac. Venue
Arena Gallery mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Tickets
FREE
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On Saturday 1 May, mac will throw open its doors to the public. The £15million mac and sampad Building Project which began in 2008 has resulted in a newly refurbished, and much improved arts centre. Over the May Bank Holiday Weekend there will be lots of things to see and do, including three free special sampad events on Monday 3 May. Venue mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
All events are outdoors unless bad weather is forecast
Visual Art 12noon - 4pm
Interactive Rangoli Demonstration
Sargam
Music 2pm
The City Sings – an anthem for mac The City Sings is a new work written by Artmusic’s composer Helen Ottaway to celebrate the re-opening of mac. Performing alongside a diverse mix of singers and musicians from across Birmingham, sampad presents Sanchita Pal (opposite) and Sargam Group. Presented by Artmusic and mac.
Come and take part in the ancient craft of Rangoli floor art! Using images such as flowers, animals and geometric shapes, you can create your own Rangoli pattern using bright coloured rice, sequins, beads and mirrors.
Background rangoli photograph by Tricia Crummay
6pm
Janavak: Folk Dances of India A vibrant performance by Janavak (left), presenting a diverse repertoire of folk dances from across India including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. This event has been made possible with support from International Dance Festival Birmingham.
Dance
06 Information 0121 446 3260
Music Saturdays, 1pm - 2.30pm
Mid-day Mantra A new series presenting music from India to nurture and uplift the spirit on Saturday lunchtimes. 8 May Classical musicians Fateh Ali (sitar), Aman Ali (tabla) and Imran Khan (vocals) 12 June Indo/Irish music from Milun, featuring Surmeet Singh (sitar), Chris O’Malley (accordion & guitar), Sam Proctor (fiddle & bodhran) and Upneet Singh (tabla) 17 July Soumik Datta (sarod) Venue
Symphony Hall, Level 3 Foyer, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA Tickets
FREE In association with Town Hall Symphony Hall. Supported by Arts Council England and Coutts Charitable Trust. Thresh Dance Company
Fateh Ali
Aman Ali
Thursday 13 May, 8pm
Thresh Dance Company: The Absent Lover A modern interpretation of a classic 5th century Sanskrit play by the famous Indian dramatist, Kalidasa. A story of love and loss, nymph Urvashi runs away in a fit of jealous rage from King Pururavas who desperately seeks her. The Absent Lover won 3 prestigious national awards in New Delhi, India at the META Theatre festival in 2009 for Best Choreography, Lighting and Set Design. Thresh Dance Company, based in New York, combines traditional Indian dance and contemporary global genres, working with dancers from India, Europe and the US. Venue
The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome B5 4TB Tickets
£10 (£8 concessions) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0844 338 5000 www.idfb.co.uk
Dance
www.sampad.org.uk 07
Dance Friday 14 May, 8pm
Abhimanyu and Vidha Lal: Kathak Duet This fantastically talented dance duo are rising stars in the field of Kathak. The young couple from Delhi, Abhimanyu Lal and wife Vidha, have earned great acclaim for their stunning solo and group performances in India and abroad. The Kathak duet is accompanied by Classical Indian musicians Fateh Ali (sitar), Aman Ali (tabla) and Imran Khan (vocals). Venue
The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome B5 4TB Tickets
£10 (£8 concessions) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0844 338 5000 www.idfb.co.uk
In association with The Nehru Centre
Abhimanyu and Vidha Lal
Thursday 17 May, 7.30pm
Anoushka Shankar: Sudakshini Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the legendary Ravi, believes in the timeless beauty of the ancient, classical Indian musical styles. Sudakshini – loosely translated as “A Beautiful Journey Southward” – is her new acoustic project. With newly composed ragas interspersed with traditional South Indian Music, she explores the relationship between the North and South Indian traditions. Venue
Anoushka Shankar
Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ Tickets
£14.50, £18.50, £22.50 Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk Presented by Town Hall Symphony Hall
Music
08 Information 0121 446 3260
Debate
Music Saturday 19 June, 7.30pm
Artist Impression
Monday 7 June, 6pm - 7.30pm
Intercultural Dialogues: Creating Spaces Join us for the first in a regular series of provocative conversations exploring community issues in Birmingham. With the opening of the newly refurbished arts centre at Cannon Hill Park – the result of the mac/sampad Building Project – you are invited to discuss architecture, spaces and the communities that occupy and animate them. Chaired by Phil Wood, co-author with Comedia’s Charles Landry of the book The Intercultural City, with contributions by individuals who shaped the development of mac. Venue
Sabha: Urban Jungli Sabha is sampad’s popular showcase for local and emerging talent in music, dance, theatre and spoken word. Tonight’s show features Urban Jungli, a Brummie based group with an international mix of artists, ‘mashing’ up and ‘clashing’ sounds of reggae, hip hop, indi-rock, bhangra-punk and desi beats to create a rich and fresh urban-world sound. Representing identities from Sicily, Katmandu, Handsworth, Jo’Berg, Punjab... and Worcester! Make time for Birmingham’s best kept secret! Venue
The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham B6 4UU Tickets
£6 (£4 concessions) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 333 2444 www.the-drum.org.uk
Hexagon Theatre mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Tickets
£6 (£4 concessions) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk Presented by sampad and mac Urban Jungli
www.sampad.org.uk 09
Spoken Word Thursday 1 July, 7.30pm
Mushaira Celebrating Rabindranath Tagore and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, two hugely influential South Asian poets with an evening of recitals, talks and discussions about their relevance in our fast-paced globalised world. Tagore, a Bengali polymath from Calcutta, wrote with a profound sense of harmony with the universe about the exquisite rural landscape of Bengal under threat from the cruel realities of modernity. While the revolutionary Muhammad Iqbal drank deeply from both European literatures Rabindranath Tagore and traditional Eastern wisdom to argue eloquently for self-expression and self-development in an Islamic fraternity free of race, colour Allama Muhammed Iqbal and nation. Venue
Dancing The Ramayana
Outreach Sunday 4 July, 4pm
Rural Tour: Dancing the Ramayana Our rural tour continues, taking this lively interactive storytelling show to North Yorkshire. The Ramayana is an Indian cultural masterpiece recounting the legendary story of Rama and Sita.
ÂŁ6 (ÂŁ4 concessions)
Dancing the Ramayana brings these epic love stories to life through traditional Kathak dance, performed by the graceful Jaymini Chauhan, together with live music from Rupinder Panesar on sitar and Poonam Panesar on vocals.
Ticket Office/Online Booking
Venue
0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk
Helmsley Arts Centre, The Old Meeting House, Helmsley, York YO62 5DW
In partnership with The Tagore Centre and The Iqbal Academy.
Ticket Office
Hexagon Theatre mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Tickets
01439 771700
10 Information 0121 446 3260
Dance & Education Wednesday 7 July, 10am - 12pm or 1pm - 3pm Peter Chand
Spoken Word & Learning Thursday 3 June, 3pm - 5pm
The Sampad Story: Storytelling workshop In this fun and interactive workshop for budding storytellers of all ages, international storyteller Peter Chand will guide you through the basics of bringing your story to life, encouraging you to explore movement, voice and imagination. Tickets
£3 – maximum of 25 participants only
Thursday 3 June, 7pm - 9pm
The Tale Trail Join Peter Chand for an evening of fantastical stories from the UK and India, all told in his own unique and exuberant style. As part of sampad’s 20th anniversary, Peter will take you on a memorable journey though the South Asian oral tradition with tales of foolish kings, harsh mother-in-laws, wise elders and talented monkeys.
Dance Stories from India: Performance and workshop with a tour of mac An opportunity for schools to explore the new building and learn about south asian dance styles and their heritage. From Bharatanatyam and Kathak, classical styles dating back thousands of years, to cultural folk dance Bhangra and popular Bollywood dancing, which derives its name from the Mumbai film industry. For more information and booking, please contact Tiffany Adams, Education Programme Co-ordinator: 0121 446 3262 or email: tiffany@sampad.org.uk Venue
Foyle Studio, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Tickets £5 per participant
Tickets
£8 (£6 concessions) Venue
Hexagon Theatre, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk Jyoti Parwana: Bharatanatyam dance
www.sampad.org.uk 11
Celebrate! Sunday 25 July, 10am - 9pm
Sampad Arts Mela Celebrate our 20th birthday with a fun-filled day out for family and friends. The best of local artists will be offering a range of entertainment and workshops, with Indian food available, to bring a taste of South Asia to your doorstep.
10am - 11.30am
Mehndi
Absorb the tranquil and melodic atmosphere with Morning Ragas.
From 11.30am Meander in and out of stalls at the Meena Bazaar, where talented artists will offer an enticing mix of activities in mehndi, rangoli, and a variety of arts and crafts to enjoy throughout the day.
From 1pm Traditional folk and modern dance and music including Bollywood, Bhangra, Giddha, Garba, Raas, Boliyaan and Qawwali. And take part in the Chance to Dance challenge – learn a routine and perform with professional dancers!
7pm Utsav - a dance and music extravaganza showcasing contemporary and Bollywood performances, plus the popular folk-rock Raghu Dixit band from Bangalore, India. With a towering voice fronting traditional Indian folk music, subtly infused with elements of Western Rock, Arabic, Latino and Reggae textures and rhythms, Raghu’s music transcends borders.
Hina & Co., photograph by Rafaquat Hussain
Venue mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Mela admission
Utsav Tickets
FREE
£8 (£6 concessions)
Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 446 3232 www.macarts.co.uk Background - The Mohammed Rafi Sound System
The Raghu Dixit band
Diary of Events
Get in touch
APRIL APRIL 24 24 Mandolin Mandolin Medley Medley Arena Arena Theatre, Theatre, Wolverhampton Wolverhampton
7pm 7pm
£9 (£7) £9 (£7)
MAY MAY 1 1 The The Sampad Sampad Story Story mac mac , , (Until (Until 30 August) 30 August) Birmingham Birmingham
All day All day FreeFree
8 8 Mid-day Mid-day Mantra Mantra LevelLevel 3 Foyer, 3 Foyer, Symphony Symphony HallHall
1pm 1pm
FreeFree
13 13 The The Absent Absent Lover Lover Patrick Patrick Centre, Centre, Hippodrome Hippodrome
8pm 8pm
£10 £10 (£8)(£8)
14 14 Abhimanyu Abhimanyu and and Patrick Patrick Centre, Centre, Vidha Vidha Lal Lal Hippodrome Hippodrome
8pm 8pm
£10 £10 (£8)(£8)
17 17 Anoushka Anoushka Shankar: Town Shankar: Town Hall, Hall, Sudakshini Sudakshini Birmingham Birmingham
7.30pm 7.30pm £14.50, £14.50, £18.50 £18.50 & £22.50 & £22.50
JUNE JUNE 3 3 The The TaleTale Trail Trail
mac mac , Birmingham , Birmingham 7pm 7pm
£8 (£6) £8 (£6)
7 7 Intercultural Intercultural Dialogues Dialogues
mac mac , ,
6pm 6pm
£6 (£4) £6 (£4)
12 12 Mid-day Mid-day Mantra Mantra LevelLevel 3 Foyer, 3 Foyer, Symphony Symphony HallHall
1pm 1pm
FreeFree
19 19 Sabha: Sabha: Urban Urban Jungli Jungli
7.30pm 7.30pm £6 (£4) £6 (£4)
Birmingham Birmingham
The The Drum, Drum, Birmingham Birmingham
JULYJULY 1 1 Mushaira Mushaira
mac mac , Birmingham , Birmingham 7.30pm 7.30pm £6 (£4) £6 (£4)
7 7 Dance Dance Stories Stories fromfrom India India
mac mac , ,
Birmingham Birmingham
10am/1pm 10am/1pm £5 £5
17 17 Mid-day Mid-day Mantra Mantra LevelLevel 3 Foyer, 3 Foyer, Symphony Symphony HallHall
1pm 1pm
FreeFree
25 25 Sampad Sampad Mela: Mela: Utsav Utsav
7pm 7pm
£8 (£6) £8 (£6)
mac mac , ,
Birmingham Birmingham
All information in this brochure is correct at the time of printing. However, changes may occasionally be necessary and any up-to-date or additional information can be found on the sampad website. sampad apologise in advance to any inconvience this may cause.
sampad is a dynamic South Asian arts organisation based in Birmingham, playing a significant role regionally and nationally in promoting the appreciation and practice of the arts originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The word sampad means wealth in Sanskrit and the organisation translates this as cultural wealth to be shared as widely as possible.
By post c/o mac, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham B12 9QH By telephone 0121 446 3260 By email info@sampad.org.uk Visit our website www.sampad.org.uk Follow us online
sampad is a registered charity no. 1088995
You can join sampad’s free mailing list by visiting www.sampad.org.uk sampad is proud to be supported by the following organisations
When you have finished with this programme, please recycle it.