Spring Season 2015
Celebrating 25 years, 1990-2015
Feb - Apr
Inspired by Gandhi 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 our Spring 2015 season programme We have a wealth of captivating music, dance, theatre and literature events to keep you entertained over the coming months. In February, to mark the launch of Sampad’s new international writing competition Inspired by Gandhi (see page 7), we are offering a special creative writing workshop for budding writers that will give participants a chance to connect with the legacy of Gandhi, one of the most inspirational leaders in history. In March we join forces with The Drum to present two compelling events to lift your spirits as Spring arrives. Reflection of Silence features enchanting music from four highly gifted musicians; check the Events section of Sampad’s website to get a flavour of them in action. Later that month, Rang Barse (A Rain of Colour) celebrates the vibrant festival of Holi by throwing a spotlight on some of the most talented singers and dancers in the region.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on our website www.sampad.org.uk and social media feeds for updates about all of our activities. You can also catch up with all the latest news on My Route, Sampad’s HLF-funded community heritage project along Birmingham’s Stratford Road at www.myroute.org.uk Best wishes,
@sampad_arts Piali Ray OBE, Director
/sampad.arts
Photo: Sreenanda Shankar Mish
In April, Sampad and mac birmingham welcome back Kali Theatre, with their new production Twelve – a moving and powerful piece of theatre featuring a collection of beautifully written monologues that examine ‘honour-based’ violence.
www.sampad.org.uk 03
Literature
Free event! To mark the launch of Sampad’s new international writing competition, Inspired by Gandhi, we are offering a free creative writing workshop aimed at new or emerging writers, aged 16 and over, wishing to develop their practice. Participants will have a chance to connect with the legacy of Gandhi - a towering figure in history, whose philosophy of non-violence and passion for equality continues to be an inspiration for many people. The workshop will be led by Parm Kaur, an established poet, playwright and performer, whose work has been broadcast on BBC Radio and Television. Venue
Marjorie Allen Room, All Saints Centre, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7RA To confirm your place, email: anne@sampad.org.uk or telephone 0121 446 3260 You can find further details about the workshop and about the Inspired by Gandhi writing competition at www.sampad.org.uk
Vidya Patel
Kesha Raithatha
Creative Writing Workshop
Urja Desai Thakore
Saturday 14 February, 11am - 1pm
Dance Sunday 15 March, 4pm
Margam – an afternoon of Kathak Enjoy an afternoon of beautiful Indian classical dance from three highly-talented Kathak performers. Urja Desai Thakore, Artistic Director of Pagrav Dance Company has built a reputation for being an exceptionally graceful and emotive dancer and has performed and choreographed extensively in Asia, Europe and the UK. Kesha Raithatha is an emerging young dancer who gave her first solo Kathak recitals in India in 2014. Birmingham-based Vidya Patel started learning Kathak from the age of ten with Sonia Sabri and is currently learning under the guidance of Sujata Banerjee, in London. You can see full biographies at www.sampad.org.uk/events Venue
mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, B12 9QH Tickets
£10 (£8 concs) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 446 3232 www.macbirmingham.co.uk
04 Information 0121 446 3260
Music Friday 20 March, 7pm
Reflection of Silence: Flavours of Iranian and Kurdish Music Reflection of Silence is a new collaboration between four musicians from different backgrounds, from Rock to Iranian music, who share a mutual passion for the art of creative improvisation in Iranian and Kurdish music. The evening will open with the Art of Improvisation (Persian Music), followed by a contemporary approach to a set of ancient Kurdish pieces from different parts of the Kurdistan region. The performance aims to inspire both the artists and listeners to become ecstatically lost in the music. This project was selected as one of the Top 10 Live UK events by Songlines magazine when it was performed at Kings Place for first time in March 2014.
Tara Jaff Pouya Mahmoudi Mehdi Rostami Adib Rostami
harp, vocal guitar setar, shourangiz tombak, kamancheh
Venue
The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham B6 4UU Tickets
£9 (£7 concs) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 333 2444 www.the-drum.org.uk
Presented by Sampad in partnership with The Drum
www.sampad.org.uk 05
Song and Dance Sunday 29 March, 4pm
Rang Barse (A Rain of Colour) Song and dance feature in this celebration of the vibrant festival of Holi which marks the arrival of spring and welcomes the colour and vitality of the new season. Come along and enjoy an afternoon of lively entertainment featuring some of the finest talent in the region, including popular, allfemale, Punjabi folk dance group Giddha Sansaar, students from Bollywood Dreams Dance Academy and three of the finalists from last season’s SARGAM South Asian Singing Contest: Rajesh Padhiar, Hemant Patel and Raj Patel.
Venue
The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham B6 4UU Tickets
All tickets ÂŁ7 Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 333 2444 www.the-drum.org.uk
Presented by Sampad in partnership with The Drum
06 Information 0121 446 3260
Dance Sunday 26 April, 4pm
Asian Spring Sampad’s annual showcase returns with a lively celebration of South Asian dance. Bring your family and friends and experience the beautiful classical forms of Kathak and Bharatanatyam, colourful and energetic Giddha folk dance, thrilling contemporary Bollywood moves and more, from some of the most exciting dance groups in the country.
Theatre Thursday 16 & Friday 17 April, 8pm
Twelve Twelve moving, touching and sometimes humorous monologues tell stories of friendship, first love, defiance, death and survival. Twelve writers have created a unique theatre event to give a voice to the true stories of young women killed by their families in the UK, where on average twelve such killings occur every year. The stories are interwoven with modern dance, expressing the freedom of the women’s spirit and the conflict between cultural tradition and modernity. Venue
mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Tickets
£14 (£12 concs) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 446 3232 www.macbirmingham.co.uk Presented by Kali Theatre in association with Sampad and mac birmingham
You can see further details about the performers at www.sampad.org.uk/events Venue
Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire, B3 3HG Tickets
£9 (£7 concs) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 245 4455 www.birmingham-box.co.uk The BOX will make the following charges to customers purchasing tickets: debit card 50p per transaction, credit card 3% per transaction. These fees are waived for online bookings. See their website for full terms & conditions. Centre for Advanced Dance Training (Bharatanatyam Strand) – Photo by Tim Cross
www.sampad.org.uk 07
Dance
Literature
Thursday 30 April, 7pm
Until 31 May 2015
Maati (Earth)
Inspired by Gandhi International Writing Competition
Presented by Nahid Siddiqui Acclaimed Kathak dancer and choreographer Nahid Siddiqui presents ‘Maati’ (Earth), a new work in development, based on the writings of 17th century Eastern philosopher and poet Hazrat Bulleh Shah, whose poetry highlights his spiritual voyage through Sufism. Siddiqui uses the subtle nuances of Kathak to encapsulate the essence of the ‘Sufi’ folk spirit of the Punjab. The work seeks to unveil the phenomenon of the earth and how all life relates to it, while also posing questions about the fundamental truths of existence. Venue
mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH Tickets
£7 Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 446 3232 www.macbirmingham.co.uk
Mahatma Gandhi is a towering figure in history, whose philosophy of nonviolence, passion for equality and sociopolitical intelligence continues to be an inspiration for many people. Sampad’s latest international writing competition is offering an opportunity for budding writers to respond to and reflect on Gandhi’s life, philosophy and vision. If you have a poem, short story or reportage inspired by Gandhi, let us know and your words could be selected for publication. Any writer from anywhere in the world from the age of 8 upwards can take part. All entries must be written in English. Entries can be up to 400 words. Only two entries are allowed per person. Last date for entries: SUNDAY 31 MAY 2015 For the competition rules and to access the online entry form, please visit the Special Projects section of www.sampad.org.uk or email: info@sampad.org.uk
Photo by Qasim Riza Shaheen
Diary of Events
Get in touch
FEBRUARY 14
Creative Writing Workshop All Saints Centre, Kings Heath
11am Free
P3
MARCH 15
Margam – an afternoon of Kathak mac birmingham
4pm £10 (£8) P3
20
Reflection of Silence – Kurdish & Iranian Music The Drum, Aston
7pm £9 (£7) P4
29
Rang Barse (A Rain of Colour) The Drum, Aston
4pm £7 P5
APRIL 16-17 Twelve mac birmingham
8pm
£14 (£12) P6
26
Asian Spring – dance extravaganza Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham 4pm £9 (£7) P6
30
Maati – presented by Nahid Siddiqui mac birmingham 7pm £7 P7
International Writing Competition Sampad’s International Writing Competition Inspired by Gandhi is now open for entries. The closing date is Sunday 31 May 2015. Enter now! See page 7 or visit www.sampad.org.uk (Special Projects) for further details. 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 for any inconvenience this may cause.
Celebrating 25 years, 1990-2015
sampad is a dynamic development agency for South Asian arts based in Birmingham. Education, outreach and lifelong learning is at the heart of all our work. We provide everything from single workshops to long term projects using dance, music, theatre, crafts or literature, for all ages and abilities, working in schools, nurseries, youth centres, community organisations, health settings and more. To find out more, please get in touch.
Post c/o mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston B12 9QH Telephone 0121 446 3260 Email info@sampad.org.uk Website www.sampad.org.uk Twitter @sampad_arts Facebook /sampad.arts sampad is a registered charity no. 1088995
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