Mela 2008 by Jon-Paul Daly

Mela

www.melauk.co.uk

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SUMMER MELAS 2008

MELAS UNITE!

The European Mela Network

Let’s Celebrate Incredible India

Winning Women – UK’s Top Achievers

N IHAL: “In 10 years I’ll be rapping for Eurovision”

Every Child Matters Fostering & Adoption

TASMIN LUCIA KHAN BREAKING NEWS! PLU S MUSIC, FASHION, BEAUTY & ART AN D YOUR MELA LISTINGS NATIONWIDE

Publications for everyone To see the full range of publications and websites visit www.sugarmedia.co.uk

Welcome to

MELA UK 2008! Every summer thousands of people from different South Asian cultures come together to attend Melas throughout the UK. The Melas provide a unique opportunity to celebrate all aspects of Asian history and cultural heritage. Showcasing for everything from music – classical to bhangra the best of Bollywood, fashion, food and culture – Mela season has it all!

ith the sunny months now upon us, it means the beginning of a new season of festivals celebrating everything Asian. The Melas, staged across the country, provide a unique opportunity to celebrate all aspects of Asian history and cultural heritage. Melas area a major showcase for everything from music to the best of bhangra, dance, fashion, food and culture. Sugar Media’s Mela is the definitive guide to all the events nationwide throughout the summer. This year we showcase talent young

and old including the UKs top achieving women, Radio 1 DJ Nihal and the stars of Desi music. We also take the opportunity to uncover hidden histories, tracing the story of South Asians in Britain from 1600s to the present day. Focusing on working in and with the community, we look at the rewards of Teaching, protecting your community as part of the Uniformed Services and making a difference through Fostering and Adoption. So from Glasgow to Southampton, wherever you are celebrating your Mela this year – we hope you enjoy the Mela season! For updates listings and events please see www.melauk.co.uk

MELA UK 2008 3

£3 WHERE SOLD EDITOR

PUBLISHERS

ISABEL APPIO, IAN THOMAS & ADAM HAYES

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR DARREN WAITE

SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE GURPREET KUNDI BRETT DAVEY

LISTINGS EDITOR

JONATHAN WILLIAMS

ART EDITOR: JON-PAUL DALY DESIGNER: JOHN BLANCO

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ISABEL APPIO

CONTENTS

79 PG08

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT 08 TASMIN TALKS NEWS 12 MR ENTERTAINMENT: NIHAL INTERVIEW

16 EXPERIENCE INDIA 20 EXHIBITION: OUT OF LONDON 28 HISTORY OF DESI MUSIC 30 MANJEET SINGH: JAZZY BINDI 32 EXHIBITION: PAINTED PHOTOGRAPHS

LIFE & HEALTH 22 SETTLING IN – A NEW LIFE 26 WINNING WOMEN: AWA AWARDS 44 H EALTH: 60 YEARS OF THE NHS 45 H ELP FOR ASTHMA SUFFERERS 48 F OSTERING & ADOPTION: EVERY CHILD MATTERS

50 S INGLE CARERS HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER!

CAREERS 18 PROFILE: SAMANTHA ALFRED 34 BECOMING A TEACHER 37 NEW TO TEACHING 38 T HE ROLE OF WOMEN OFFICERS TODAY

39 W ANT TO DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE?

42 P AVING THE WAY:

CHIEF INSPECTOR PARM SANDHU

53 NATIONAL LISTINGS 62 ADVERTISER LIST MELA UK 2008 5

Advertorial - British Sugar

Challenging graduate opportunities at British Sugar

ritish Sugar, with operations in Africa, Europe and the Far East, is the leading sugar supplier in the UK. We process the country’s entire sugar beet crop annually (around seven million tonnes), with our technologically advanced processing plants producing around 7,500 tonnes of sugar a day. The company is a member of the Associated British Foods (ABF) group, which is a FTSE 100 listed company. Other members of the group include Allied Bakeries, Silver Spoon, The Ryvita Company and Twining and Company Ltd. British Sugar is a growing, diverse and highly complex business. Our culture is one of improvement and today’s graduates will provide the business with its senior managers of the future. The size of the workforce is relatively small, providing scope for graduates to make a visible impact.

Requirements We are looking for high calibre graduates whose strong technical skills in their own discipline are backed by energy, drive and ambition; individuals who relish the prospect of change and are prepared to

Wissington sugar factory, Norfolk

demonstrate team working skills. We look for at least a 2:1 degree, but selfmotivation and the ability to influence people at all levels is key. All of our graduates must be prepared to be fully mobile.

Training and Development The graduate programmes begin with a comprehensive induction to the business, the structure, the market and the business issues we face. This induction is followed by a series of

core training modules to give graduates from all disciplines an insight into general business topics and general management skills. Throughout the scheme each graduate will be supported by their own personally assigned mentor. A wide variety of training courses are offered throughout the duration of the programme. At British Sugar you are encouraged to take ownership of your own career progression to help you develop the expertise and personal qualities you will need to achieve your career goals. A highly advanced programme of functional training and cross-functional project work will allow you to build wider credibility and competence.

Rewards

“British Sugar is a growing, diverse and highly complex business. Our culture is one of improvement and today’s graduates will provide the business with its senior managers of the future.”

HOW DO YOU SYRUP FROM INTO JUICE F

Challenging work, early responsibility and exciting career opportunities are the hallmark of the British Sugar Graduate schemes. Our flexible programmes provide the optimal combination of practical experience and structured training to prepare you for a career in senior management. Opportunities to spend time abroad are also open to our graduates. Study towards professional qualifications is fully encouraged and sponsored by the company. We offer a competitive starting salary along with a comprehensive benefits package. All graduate salaries are reviewed regularly in line with personal performance and achievement of professional qualifications as appropriate. If you thought British Sugar just mad Locations beet crop, we can also produce bioethan Head Office in Peterborough; in of carbon emissions releas theFactories amount East Anglia and the East Midlands. And there are a lot of other things that might sur

classic round tomatoes – more than 34 million each

Contact us Will we be spellbound by your talents? We are lo British Sugar plc drive and ambition. To find out more about a com Sugar Way Peterborough PE2 9AY Email: bsgrads@britishsugar.co.uk Website: www.bsgrads.co.uk British Sugar Head office, Peterborough.

Please apply online at www.bsgrads.co.uk.

PURE MAGIC

HOW DO YOU TURN THE SYRUP FROM SUGAR INTO JUICE FOR A CAR?

If you thought British Sugar just made sugar, think again. When we process the sugar beet crop, we can also produce bioethanol. Just add this ‘green’ fuel to petrol and, hey presto, the amount of carbon emissions released into the environment is significantly reduced. And there are a lot of other things that might surprise you too – like the fact that we are the UK’s largest producer of classic round tomatoes – more than 34 million each year. Will we be spellbound by your talents? We are looking for top-calibre graduates, whose skills are backed by energy, drive and ambition. To find out more about a company that’s pure magic to work for, go to www.bsgrads.co.uk

ince making her mark as a Zee TV presenter, Tasmin Lucia Khan has rapidly proved her worth and worked her way up the TV ladder. Earlier this year, Tasmin became the presenter of BBC Three’s 60seconds news bulletin, joining the BBC after producing and hosting a sports show on Channel Five for three years. Tasmin, aged 27, is no stranger to news and politics. She graduated from Oxford University with an honours degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics and was a keen debater at Oxford where she specialised in International Relations and Economics. On landing the much coveted position at BBC3 Tasmin said: “I’m very excited to be part of the new look BBC Three. I’ll be keeping our audiences up-to-date during the week with all the latest news, just the way they like it. It’s going to be short and sharp news bulletins on the hour and I’ve literally got only 60 seconds to deliver!” In addition to 60seconds, Tasmin will also present Entertainment 24 on BBC News 24. Tasmin’s presenting career began in 2000 at the Zee TV Network as entertainment presenter and news reporter. Later she hosted her own talk show interviewing celebrities from the world of film, music and business. She was also the London correspondent for PTV Prime, reporting the UK’s top news stories to a worldwide audience. Tasmin gives credit to her mentor, Kevin Bakhurst, controller of BBC News, for his career guidance. When interviewed in the Independent newspaper she said of Kevin: “I was freelancing when I met Kevin Bakhurst in September last year. I was working as a sports presenter on Five and as a

correspondent for PTV, an Asian channel, as well as running a production company when we met at a networking event for aspiring journalists called Move On Up In News, which is organised through the Audio Visual Entrepreneurship Development Partnership. I knew that when Kevin had been editor of the Ten O’Clock News, the programme received a BAFTA for its coverage of the Madrid bombings, a second BAFTA for the 7/7 bombings and the Royal Television Society’s News Programme of the Year award. I immediately liked his manner and thought, this is someone I really respect. Later on I found out that he thought I had a lot of potential and a personality that could translate really well on TV. He passed my showreel on to others in the BBC, saying he thought they could do something with me, and I was lucky that the opportunity to be one of the faces of BBC3 news came up. We talk on a regular basis and he’s really looked after my progress and gives me feedback. There have been times I haven’t been sure how I am coming across, and when you watch yourself you don’t always know. I really value his judgement and I feel well looked after. He is very friendly and always knows what he’s talking about you can’t do a job like that with so many members of staff and not have authority. Before meeting Kevin, I had interviews with two American networks. They wanted to hire me immediately because I was ‘exotic and very English’. But I wondered if I would actually learn anything, and if I would be able to develop. I really love the BBC and have been able to develop a lot. Working in its newsroom is a completely unique experience, especially when breaking news happens.” v

“TASMIN, AGED 27, IS NO STRANGER TO NEWS AND POLITICS. SHE GRADUATED FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY WITH AN HONOURS DEGREE IN POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY AND ECONOMICS AND WAS A KEEN DEBATER AT OXFORD WHERE SHE SPECIALISED IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND ECONOMICS.”

HEADLINE NEWS – TASMIN LUCIA KHAN Tasmin Lucia Khan: Oxford Graduate, high profile media career, catwalk style and stunning model looks. Mela magazine profiles the woman who appears to have it all.

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TASMIN LUCIA KHAN

MELA UK 2008 9

“

Tackling discrimination of any kind is one of the key priorities for the Service, and forming part of the wider decency agenda, which is essential for the running of a safe and successful Prison Service.

An agenda of decency and diversity The Prison Service is committed to promoting equality of opportunity in all its work. The Service operates in an increasingly diverse society, and this is reflected in the staff we employ and the prisoners in our care. Tackling discrimination of any kind is one of the key priorities for the Service, and forming part of the wider decency agenda, which is essential for the running of a safe and successful Prison Service.

Director General of the National Offender Management Service

The Director General, Phil Wheatley has stated his continuing commitment to the elimination of discrimination: “Fairness in prison implies consistency and certainty. In a diverse society, this can only be achieved if all are treated fairly and equally, no matter what their colour, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability. I am clear that prisons with the best relationships will be the most secure, orderly and safe, for prisoners, staff and visitors.” The Prison Service are committed to promoting the benefits of a diverse workforce

MR ENTERTAINMENT

ne of the biggest names on the air, Radio 1’s Nihal talks to Mela’s Gurpreet Kundi about Mark Wahlberg, working for Elton John and doing the Eurovision in 10 years!

Gurpreet: How difficult has it been for you to break into mainstream radio? Nihal: As it was something I had never strived for each time I open a mic fader and it’s daytime Radio 1 I consider it a blessing. There are a few people here at Radio 1 who have put a lot of faith in me and I do not intend to let any of them down. I’m a grafter, I put my head down pull my sleeves up and work. Gurpreet: What are your thoughts on the explosion of Asian culture within mainstream radio, TV and fashion? Nihal: You’d have to define explosion. Is there one? Were we a fad that has passed? Other than Jay Sean, which Asian artist do you see crossing over. Is that an explosion? I think that that was a question you could have 12 MELA UK 2008

asked in 2004/2005. I’m not being a pessimist at all and I think we are in an amazing place but if you think the whole of the UK is going around whistling bhangra tunes and queueing up to see Bollywood movies you are sadly mistaken. On a deeper level there are many people making moves behind the scenes like Raoul Shah at Exposure PR and Shabs at Relentless Records. Do not mistake the ubiquitous nature of the chicken tikka masala as an explosion. Gurpreet: When was the first time you knew you were famous? Nihal: I’m not famous. I used to work for Elton John, that’s famous. Gurpreet: Who influenced you to persue DJing? Nihal: I have been into music for as long as I can remember. I remember seeing scratch DJs like Cash Money, Cutmaster Swift and DJ Pogo back in the days but at that time I was an MC so left them to their mastery. Gurpreet: What’s been your most embarrassing blooper on radio? Nihal: Saying a very very very bad word on

my weekend breakfast show. I mispronounced the word ‘count’. Also, every time Bobby Friction and I do our show we’re minutes away from some madness or another. Gurpreet: Who, from your daily life, inspires you and who is your hero? Nihal: People who are very successful and are nice people. Raoul Shah of Exposure PR, Trevor Robinson of the advertising agency Quiet Storm, Chris Page who used to be my boss and Shabs from Relentless Records who is my Record Industry guru. I am not a businessman so I do envy these guys. Also everybody who works at Radio 1. It really is the best place that I have ever worked in. Ben Cooper and Andy Parfitt lead by example which is the best way to be. Gurpreet: Is it difficult to stand in for other DJs, such as Chris Moyles and Edith Bowman? Do you feel you have to change your presenting style? Nihal: I change my presenting style between my specialist show, my Asian Network Show and my Radio 1 weekend breakfast show. With stand-ins I do try to be myself and try not to copy anyone else’s style. Breakfast [shows] and

INTERVIEW: NIHAL

NIHAL’S FAVOURITES Artist: James Brown. Food: Egg Godumba roti with chicken curry or some saag paneer and jeera rice. Drink: Mango lassi. Or a Zubrowska and fresh apple juice. DJ: Every Radio 1 DJ. Book: I’ll tell you when I finish one of the five that I currently haven’t finished. Era of music: The future. Genre of music: The outstandingly inspirational genre.

“Drive” [shows] require a gear change though. Gurpreet: If you could erase one musician from history, who would it be and why? Nihal: Wow! There’d be artist genocide for those who sing, write or perform without soul, passion, belief, imagination, energy and conviction. Gurpreet: Which band would you revive if you had the power? Nihal: Bands have a shelf life, like Radio presenters. Their music lives on and when their careers come to an end then so be it. I don’t reminisce about a golden age of music and still believe that I have yet to hear the best music, otherwise why bother? Gurpreet: What song are you playing in your car at the moment? Nihal: New music from Busta Rhymes, Game, Superswamis, Jay Sean, and Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs’ brilliant compilation album. Gurpreet: If you weren’t a radio DJ what would you be doing? Nihal: Wondering how to make money out of loving music so much.

Gurpreet: How would you describe your radio show? Nihal: Inspiring infotainment.

on the line and all the time thinking of the paycheck. Either that or rapping the UKs Eurovision song contest entry.

Gurpreet: Who has been your most memorable interview? Nihal: Mark Wahlberg this morning was a good one, especially when we finished and he said how much he usually hates interviews and had so much fun. We’re both Hip Hop heads so that got us off to a great start.

Gurpreet: Describe yourself in one word. Nihal: Happy.

Gurpreet: Is there anyone you would love to interview? Nihal: People say never meet your heroes. I approach each interview with the same irreverent enthusiasm.

Gurpreet: What else have you got in the pipeline? Nihal: Oil. v

Gurpreet: You are known not to shy away from controversial topics on radio....would a career in politics interest you? Nihal: Hell NO! But never say never. Gurpreet: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Nihal: Talking about the price of fig rolls at 3am on a Radio station no one has heard of, filling time until another caller comes

Gurpreet: Your motto in life? Nihal: Things are only as complicated as you want to make them or Audere est facere (To dare is to do).

Nihal presents a weekday show on BBC Asian Network between 9am and 12noon. He is currently taking a 4-week break from this commitment however, covering for Edith Bowman on her Radio 1 show between 1 and 4pm while the presenter is on maternity leave. He also presents the weekend breakfast show on Radio 1 between 7 and 10am and co-hosts with Bobby Friction between midnight and 2am on Tuesdays on Radio 1, where they showcase the freshest Asian breaks and flavas around. MELA UK 2008 13

MELAS UNITE

MELAS UNITE! Melas are colourful and welcoming family-friendly celebrations of south Asian culture. Dozens take place in the UK alone, annually drawing crowds in excess of one million people, from a wide variety of community and cultural backgrounds. They currently run throughout the summer continuing into November.

“THE EUROPEAN MELA NETWORK IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGLAND’S MELAS TO NETWORK NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, SHARING EXPERTISE AND GROWING THE SECTOR.”

Clockwise from top left: Asian inspired Fashion. Notorious Jatt. Joler Gaan. Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor. Courtesy of Asian Lifestyle show C James & O Jenkins.

elas have established their place within the UK cultural landscape for 20 years. In fact, wherever south Asians have settled around the world, melas have become increasingly prominent within the cultural calendar. One of the biggest in Europe is held in Norway and there are several large events that take place in USA, Canada and Australia. The word Mela derives from the Sanskrit word for ‘gathering’. In the Asian subcontinent, melas are traditionally held as community events, which can involve arts, 14 MELA UK 2008

dance, music, fashion, food and film. In the West, melas have evolved to become celebratory arts and cultural events, incorporating performance and art elements, with professional performers of international status as well as strong community involvement, commercial, sporting and culinary aspects. Melas provide an invaluable opportunity for people of south Asian origin to learn more about their own rich heritage of arts and culture, while encouraging interaction with other ethnic minority groups and the mainstream population. Melas also provide a boost for local businesses particularly hotels, restaurants and retail. European Mela Network (EMN) is an initiative, organised by melas set up to

unite and support melas across Europe. The website www.melanet.eu/ includes news, up to date information, links to European melas and a members’ forum. “The European Mela Network is a wonderful opportunity for England’s melas to network nationally and internationally, sharing expertise and growing the sector. Melas celebrate the rich diversity of our culture and have the ability to unite communities in a common artistic experience,” Says Charles Rowley, Arts Council. EMN Chair and spokesperson is actor and award winning director Ajay Chhabra. He is co-founder and artistic director of London Mela. v See www.melanet.eu for details

Naz Project London (NPL) provides Sexual Health and HIV prevention and support services to targeted Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in London.

Mobilizing BME communities for Sexual Health

NPL aims to educate and empower communities to face up to the challenges of Sexual Health and the AIDS pandemic, and to mobilise the support networks that exist for people living with HIV/AIDS. NPL’s work currently targets the following communities in London - Eritrean - Ethiopian - Latin American Spanish speaking - Middle Eastern - Portuguese speaking - Somali - South Asian NPL is London’s largest and longest established BME initiated and led Sexual Health and HIV/ AIDS agency. For more information about any of our services, or to find out how to get involved contact us Phone - 020 8741 1879 Email - npl@naz.org.uk Web - www.naz.org.uk

NHS Can you bring your expertise to a new arena? Public Appointments in the NHS There are more than 300 local NHS bodies in England responsible for the healthcare provided by the NHS - and the experience and expertise of people like you is invaluable to them. As a non-executive director serving on the Board of your local healthcare body, you will make decisions that shape services and directly affect your community. This is a rewarding and intellectually challenging role which offers you unrivalled opportunities for personal development. Becoming a non-executive director in your local NHS requires a time commitment of around 2 1/2 days a month. Remuneration ranges from £5,875 to £12,663 per annum. For more information, or to register for vacancies in your local area, please visit www.appointments.org.uk/vacancies/ or call us on 0870 240 3802 quoting ref: YM. The Appointments Commission is committed to equality of opportunity for all and the principle of appointment based on merit following an open and transparent process and independent assessment. Please note these are public appointments, not employment.

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INCREDIBLE INDIA

In a country as diverse and complex as India, with a five thousand year recorded history, it is not surprising to find that people here reflect the rich glories of the past, the culture, traditions and values relative to geographic locations and the numerous distinctive manners, habits and food that will always remain truly Indian.

rom the eternal snows of the Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of the far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, from the dry heat and cold of the Central Plateau to the cool forest foothills, Indian lifestyles clearly glorify the geography. The food, clothing and habits of an Indian community differ in accordance to the place of origin. Indians believe in sharing happiness and sorrow. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighbourhood is involved in bringing liveliness to an occasion. A lot of festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Mahaveer Jayanthi are all celebrated by sharing sweets and pleasantries with family,

neighbours and friends. An Indian wedding is an occasion that calls for participation of the family and friends and an event that often lasts several days. Similarly, neighbours and friends always help out a family in times of need. Ethnically Indians speak, well over 400 different languages, follow different religions, eat the most diverse varieties of food all of which add to the rich Indian culture. The beauty of the Indian people lies in the spirit of tolerance, give-and-take and a composition of cultures that can be compared to a garden of flowers of various colours and shades of which, while maintaining their own entity, lend harmony and beauty to the garden - India! v For full information on tourism in India see www.incredibleindia.org.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;INDIANS BELIEVE IN SHARING HAPPINESS AND SORROW. A FESTIVAL OR A CELEBRATION IS NEVER CONSTRAINED TO A FAMILY OR A HOME. THE WHOLE COMMUNITY OR NEIGHBOURHOOD IS INVOLVED IN BRINGING LIVELINESS TO AN OCCASION.â&#x20AC;? MELA UK 2008 17

MELA PROFILE

CELEBRATING CREATIVE CARDS Samantha Alfred of Jivina Style Ltd entered the BBC2 television programme Dragons’ Den (a TV show which gives financial support to budding entrepreneurs) in September last year. She may have emerged empty handed but remained undeterred.

ust over a year ago, Samantha Alfred took redundancy, leaving behind a 10-year corporate career, and taking the opportunity to follow her dream, developed a unique card concept: Asian design led greeting cards for British, Asian and Multi-cultural audiences – fulfilling a gap in the UK market. Sam says: “Inspiration for my designs comes from growing up in Southall, a diverse and multi-cultural community; my experiences of traditional Asian culture and life as a British Asian Christian. “I realised there was a huge gap in the market for Asian greeting cards, since the high street’s idea of Asian cards was limited to Eid or Diwali; I felt the stereotype needed to be addressed so I set up my business offering fresh new Asian cartoons and Henna inspired designs for everyday.”

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“WE’VE BEEN AWARE FOR A WHILE FOR THE NEED TO SERVE THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, BUT HADN’T FOUND ANYTHING THAT WAS QUITE RIGHT. SAM’S STYLE IS YOUNG AND FRESH, AND CATERS TO THOSE TARGET CUSTOMERS AND SHE REALLY HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.”

Jivana Style’s unique Asian greeting cards have caught the attention of the UK’s largest greeting card retailer, Clinton Cards. Brett Smith, Purchasing Director, Clinton Cards said the introduction of Jivana Style to the chain: “We’ve been aware for a while for the need to serve the Asian community, but hadn’t found anything that was quite right. Sam’s style is young and fresh, and caters to those target customers and she really hits the nail on the head. There are a few different ranges and we’re going to use all of them.” Following the success of the Asian ranges, Jivana Style has launched a funky range of African-Caribbean cartoons which have been inspired by black British culture. v For more information email: info@jivanastyle.com or visit www.jivanastyle.com

DELIVERING ON

DIVERSITY Defra is proud to support Mela UK 2008. Delivering on race equality is a prerequisite to the successful delivery of Defraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aims. We recognise that diversity enriches our organisation and is an essential ingredient of change and progress. We are proud to be recognised as part of the Business in the Community initiative, Race for Opportunity. We are committed to improving our engagement with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities as well as creating a more inclusive working environment for all our staff. In Defra we believe that leadership plays a pivotal role. This ensures that all our staff have the opportunity to develop to their full potential. Our Management Board together with our Diversity Champion actively supports our Ethnic Minority Network which provides a forum for our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff. Defra is committed to delivering an action orientated programme which benefits all of our people and UK citizens.

www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/diversity

OUT OF INDIA

A subcontinentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence on London

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EXHIBITION: OUT OF LONDON

The Out of India exhibition held at the Museum of London highlights the impact of the culture of the Indian subcontinent on London, and the contributions made by people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi decent, who settled in the capital. The exhibition originally marked the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence, as well as the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. From food to fashion, politics to sport, spirituality to cinema, Out of India unravels the subcontinent’s ever developing relationship with London, bringing together photographs, textiles, objects and oral histories to celebrate an extraordinary and ongoing tale of cultural influence on life in the capital.

6 1: Restaurant interior. © Museum of London. 2: Poster for film at Astoria. © Museum of London. 3: Early Shardwood’s recipe booklet. © Museum of London. 4: Worshippers celebrating 22nd Ganesh festival, Golders Green 1973. Henry Grant collection. © Museum of London. 5: Photograph of His Highness Prince Victor Duleep Singh, 1897. © Museum of London. 6: Photograph of Indian suffragettes on the Women’s Coronation Procession of 17 June 1911. © Museum of London.

The display casts an eye over the long history of Indian representation in political life, from Dadabhai Naorji, MP for Finsbury Central in 1892, to the first Zoroastrian Parsi to take a seat in the House of Lords ‘THE PEOPLE in July last year, Lord AND CULTURES Bilimoria. The major political figures of 1947, OF INDIA, Ghandi, Nehru and JinPAKISTAN AND nah, all trod the London stage and Out BANGLADESH political of India looks back to HAVE HAD the empire they fought. The London-based East A TRULY India Company deterSIGNIFICANT mined trade with the subcontinent. Muslins, INFLUENCE silks and Kashmiri ON LONDON.’ shawls bear testimony to influence and, in the case of the Paisley pattern, dilution, of Indian design passing through the docks into the homes of 18th century Londoners. Francis Marshall curator of the exhibition comments, ‘The people and cultures of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have had a truly significant influence on London. This display attempts to reveal how this has come about. Eating habits are well known, but others, like the involvement in the Suffragette movement are much less familiar. Out of India offers an opportunity to celebrate and explore this important aspect of London’s history.’ For more information visit www.museumoflondon. org.uk or www.museumindocklands.org.uk Exhibits will be on display at the new gallery opening in 2010. See also www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk

MELA UK 2008 21

SETTLING IN – A NEW LIFE Roger Ballard charts the presence of South Asians in the UK from the 1600s to the present day. Photos courtesy of Bradford Heritage Unit. 22 MELA UK 2008

he majority of South Asian migration to England has happened since 1950 but as early as 1688 there is evidence of a Bristol man offering a reward of 20 shillings for his runaway ‘Indian boy’. The 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act marked a serious shift in the immigration of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis to England. Before 1960 such immigration had been small scale equalling less than a third of Caribbean migration and migrants generally had a significant knowledge of the English language or Britain, or both. This group comprised of: seamen, ex-Indian army personnel, university graduates, teachers, doctors and other professionals. The entry of South Asians to England was controlled at source by the Indian and Pakistani governments. After 1960 immigration increased equalling that from the Caribbean and the profile of the typical immigrant changed. More often than not, South Asian immigrants

FEATURE: A NEW LIFE Left: Women gather for a meal. Below right: Early painting of Indian cricket player. Bottom right: With the expansion of public transport, many jobs on the busses were offered to Asian men.

were now from a rural background and generally unfamiliar with the language and culture of Britain. But one factor remained constant: the importance of the contact or sponsor in Britain. During the rush to beat the perceived impending ban in 1962 the houses of early settlers virtually became reception centres. The small numbers of South Asian people in Britain before the First World War were socially and geographically scattered. This group included students, lascars and nannies of East India company employees. Students lived in university towns, especially London, Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh. Bayswater in West London, which was popular with Indian students in the first half of the twentieth century, was known as “Asia minor”. Indian lascars deserted and settled near the London docks from the eighteenth century onwards and many became a part of the multi-racial dock communities, cohabiting with and marrying local English women.

Reasons for making the journey to England varied enormously, from political expulsion in the case of Ugandan Asians to career development or even marriage. However, broadly, South Asian migrants in the later half of the twentieth century were motivated by improved economic prospects, even if they anticipated a short stay. Despite attempts to control the number, and type, of South Asians entering Britain, by 1961 over 100,000 Indian and Pakistani nationals had taken up residence. South Asians received a mixed reception in Britain, as the following accounts show. Mohamed Zaman Khan describes a confrontation with a local man: “When I first arrived the local people generally didn’t like us blacks. Once I remember being confronted by a white man telling me ‘you blacks are good for nothing. You come over here, take our jobs and we don’t like you.’ I told him that it was my country too, I had fought for it and if we had been late in getting to the battlefront this country would have been in the hands of the Germans. I told him not to give me any trouble as I had sacrificed a lot for this country. The man apologised at the end saying he didn’t know.” Israel Massey who came to Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s remembered his initial shock at the antagonism directed at him: South Asian immigrants settling in postwar Britain established themselves, mainly in London, the Midlands and industrial areas in the north, taking up employment in factories and foundries. Most people who came from India, Pakistan and later Bangladesh were aided by chain migration. The early pioneers who had found accommodation and employment in England then sponsored other men, usually from the same family group or village to join them. This pattern of chain migration led to large numbers of South Asians settling in particular areas. In the case of one Mirpuri family, approximately 135 family members settled in Britain. Up to 90% of Pakistanis in Bradford and Birmingham come from the

“AFTER 1960 IMMIGRATION INCREASED EQUALLING THAT FROM THE CARIBBEAN AND THE PROFILE OF THE TYPICAL IMMIGRANT CHANGED.”

MELA UK 2008 23

Left: Many immigrants found employment in the textile industry.

area of Mirpur. Similarly, in Greater London many East African Asians have settled in areas such as Wembley and Harrow while Southall in Ealing is home to a large Punjabi Sikh community. (For more information on the Sikh community the Sikh Cyber Museum may be of interest.) In 1991 Bangladeshis made up 22.9% of the population of Tower Hamlets and 95% of Bangladeshis come from the rural district of Sylhet. Read more about where Asians have settled in England. Original settlement patterns in Greater London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire have shown limited change over the past half a century. Although there is some evidence of a move to the suburbs by some groups, particularly Indians. Mrs Munsiff and Mrs Husain, who both settled in Wandsworth, London in the early 1960s were well received by their white

“I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS MY COUNTRY TOO, I HAD FOUGHT FOR IT AND IF WE HAD BEEN LATE IN GETTING TO THE BATTLEFRONT THIS COUNTRY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE HANDS OF THE GERMANS. I TOLD HIM NOT TO GIVE ME ANY TROUBLE AS I HAD SACRIFICED A LOT FOR THIS COUNTRY.”

24 MELA UK 2008

neighbours and made English friends. Mrs Husain’s shop became the hub of the local english community: “Living in Balvernie Road and having a shop gave me a very close contact and friendship with everyone ... they came to share their gossip, their sorrows and joys, so I learnt about English society very quickly... it was a friendly atmosphere, we knew the whole street.” Negative representations of South Asian migrants as a drain on public funds in the mass media were, on rare occasions, challenged. The claim that black and Asian immigrants from the old Commonwealth posed a burden on the state was dismissed by a report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in 1967. The author claimed that migrants were less of a burden than the local population, receiving only 80% of welfare benefits, compared to the indigenous white population. It was argued that a majority of immigrants contributed rather than depended on the state. Early post-war South Asian migrants faced prejudice in finding private rented accommodation and council housing. A survey by Willesden Council of press advertisements for accommodation in the local press showed that 90 per cent of advertisements specifically discriminated against non-Europeans. Ajit Rai, who came to London in the mid 1950s, had first hand experience of exclusion: “White people would not rent their houses to us as lodgers, so that it was a very difficult time in that sense.” In Southall, London, Rai witnessed a white exodus “they started moving out when we started moving in”. As early as 1957, a Home Office document provided evidence of white flight and future segregation, which would come to characterise some northern towns and cities: “The Nottingham, Wolverhampton

and Warwickshire police say that white house-holders in better class districts resent coloured people buying houses in these districts and when this happens, those who can, move.” This was supported by a 1964 article in the Daily Telegraph in which an Estate Agent in Southall, London had agreed to sell houses owned by Southall Residents Association exclusively to white buyers. In the north of England, Pakistanis sought to overcome these housing problems by buying old houses often in slum areas and letting them out to newcomers. “Dad was amazed and heartened by the sight of the British in England, though. He’d never seen the English in poverty, as road sweepers, dustmen, shopkeepers and barmen. He’d never seen an Englishman stuffing bread into his mouth with his fingers...” Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi (Faber and Faber, 1990). For South Asians arriving from the 1950s onwards, a period of adjustment was necessary. For women coming from large extended families, life in Britain could, initially, seem isolated and lonely. Mrs. S. Ahmad: “Sometimes, I used to cry, I missed my family in the beginning but later, I overcame all these problems.” For those who did not have access to a bathroom in their houses, the experience of visiting the public baths was strange at first. Israel Massey: “The public baths used to be near East Ham Town Hall. You had to clean the bath and pay half a crown ... You can get a towel, shampoo and soap there, and you would just go there and have a bath. I didn’t know this was part of the culture because we had our own baths (in India).” Few of the young, male South Asian migrants arriving in the 1950s envisaged permanent settlement. A 1957 police report titled, Working Party to on the social and economic problems arising from the growing influx into the United Kingdom of Coloured workers from Commonwealth countries recorded that Indians and Pakistanis had come to Britain with the object of making sufficient money to enable them to return home after a stay of five to ten years. Most decided to settle, however, as increased immigration restriction and family reunification made re-migration a less realistic option. v Re-printed with kind permission of Roger Ballard. For more information see www.casas.org.uk and movinghere.org

Far Left: Arti Lukha, Media Professional of the Year. Left: BBC Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Riz Lateef with Public Sector award winner Asha Khemka and Cherie Blair QC. Above: Ruby McGregor-Smith, Business Woman award Winner.

WINNING WOMEN 26 MELA UK 2008

AWARDS Left: Snigdha Singh, Young Achiever of the Year.

THE 2008 WINNERS ARE: Arts and Culture: Shobana Jeyasingh Jeyasingh is a world renowned choreographer and artistic director and has directed the Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company since 1988. Business Woman of the Year: Ruby McGregorSmith Ruby McGregor-Smith is chief executive of £1.2bn business services group MITIE and, still, the first and only Asian women to run a FTSE 250 company.

Co-founded by Pinky Lilani OBE in 1999, the Asian Women of Achievement Awards is an inspirational event that takes place annually. The awards applaud and celebrate the commitment, dedication and determination of Asian women from all over the country and from all walks of life. They recognise all levels of achievement made by Asian women in the UK – whether professional or personal - within the commercial, professional, artistic and humanitarian sectors. Ten leading Asian women were celebrating their success in the London Hilton on May 20, when they were announced as winners in the ninth Asian Women of Achievement Awards. Main: All winners pose on stage together. Far left: Sue Ashtiany and Afshan Ahmed, joint winners of the Professional of the Year award claim their prize. Left: Centre, Wasfi Kani OBE, winner of the Lloyds TSB award.

Professional of the Year: Afshan Ahmed (joint winner) Afshan Ahmed, of the Foster Care Association, is a pioneer and author in the field of “life story work”, working with children in foster care. Professional of the Year: Sue Ashtiany (joint winner) Sue Ashtiany is the head of employment law at Nabarro LLP. Sue has served on the Equal Opportunities Commission and as UK refugee counsellor appointed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Entrepreneur of the Year: Hasfa Abubacker After working in home shopping for ten years, in October 2005 Hasfa Abubacker became the only woman and, aged 31, the youngest person in the UK to own and run a shopping channel, Pitchwell. Media Professional of the Year: Arti Lukha Arti Lukha’s determination to get to the heart of cuttingedge news stories as a hard-hitting journalist, has earned her the esteemed position of home news editor of ITN. Public Sector Award: Asha Khemka As principal of West Nottinghamshire College (WNC), Asha Khemka is the guiding light at the head of one of the biggest colleges in Europe. Social and Humanitarian Award: Bala Thakrar Bala Thakrar has championed the needs of vulnerable people for 20 years. She founded Apna Ghar (the UK’s first Asian Disabled housing association). Young Achiever of the Year: Snigdha Singh Snigdha Singh completed an MBA at the Indian Institute of management at the age of 23, where she was awarded the JP Morgan Scholarship for Best Female Exchange Student. The Lloyds TSB Award: Wasfi Kani OBE At the age of 14, Wasfi Kani won a place in the National Youth Orchestra where she was the only non-white member. At 18, she auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and was accepted but turned this down for an offer from Oxford University where she read music. In 1998 she created a new opera house at Grange Park, with a new company Grange Park Opera. For full details please see www.realbusiness.co.uk MELA UK 2008 27

ENTERTAINMENT: DESI

HISTORY OF DESI MUSIC

The next generation: Punjabi MC, who shot to worldwide fame in the late 90s with “Mundian To Bach Ke”.

From the fields of the Punjab to UK London club nights the sound of British Asian music continues to travel.

In the beginning there was Bhangra!

ritish Asian music began with Bhangra! Punjabis migrating to the UK after partition, in 1947, brought the sounds from the fields with them. During the 60s and 70s, Punjabi folk singers, A.S.Kang, Kuldip Manak and Chamkila provided the inspiration for many UK artists, where taped recordings blared out of secluded halls. Not until the 80’s did artists begin developing traditional sounds into a

new British Asian musical genre. In 1982, Southall’s Alaap, released their album ‘Teri Chunni De Sitaray’, which played a vital role in creating interest amongst the young Asian community. Bands such as Apna Sangeet, Premi, Chirag Pechane and Malkit Singh established themselves as household names as the ‘Bhangra Explosion’ of the mid 80’s saw the introduction of night time club gigs, the UK Asian Pop Awards and the infamous Bhangra Daytimers. The clash of being caught between two different cultures began to take effect as traditional folk rhythms and Western sounds

began to be heard together. UK artists such as Heera started to mix Western drums and synthesisers with traditional Punjabi instruments. First generation Asians began to explore and adapt their musical heritage, and by the late 1980s Bhangra had embarked on a brand new sound.

Re-mix! The introduction of sampling, by The New Pardesi Music Machine and Shaktee, allowed the Asian sound to take its first leap into the mainstream during the mid 90s. Acts such as Jazzy B, The Sahotas, DCS and B21 captured the imagination of young Asians by showcasing young, up-and-coming musicans, producers and singers with a slicker and funkier image. The master of remixes, Bally Sagoo became the first Punjabi singer to enter the British pop chart when ‘Dil Cheez’ shot to Number 12 in 1996. Once Island Records signed deals with Sagoo and Brummie born Apache Indian, Bhangra had successfully entered popular culture. The 21st century has seen an early trend for Bhangra artists to sample everything it can get its hands on, from the Knight Rider theme in Punjabi MCs ‘Mundian Te Bach Ke’ (which reached Number 5 in the UK charts in 2002) to Tigerstyle’s ‘Nachna Onde Nei’, a wholly original melding of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ and Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’. Today artists like Sukshinder Shinda, Aman Hayer, Juggy D and Mehsopuria are producing music for a new generation based on root influences from the Punjab, which they hope will be recognised and respected ‘back home’ in India. Nachna Onde Nei: Tigerstyle. 28 MELA UK 2008

Deep in the East End of London... During the growth of Bhangra, a different set of musicians were forming the Asian Underground. Based in the East End of London, Talvin Singh, Nitin Sawheny, ADF, Transglobal Underground and State of Bengal played to Western audiences in clubs EastEnder: Nitin Sawhney. like Hoxton’s The Blue Note. Evolving out of a need to represent a silent minority, Asian Underground mixed gritty Jungle, Electronica and Drum’n’Bass with complex rhythmical patterns of Indian classical music. This new sound created a commotion across all cultures. With mainstream DJs such as Weatherall and Rampling behind it, this new Anglo Indian sound gained momentum. Talvin Singh won the Mercury Prize for his album ‘OK’ and the sound soon crossed the waters to give added strength to the Asian Massive movement in the US. New club nights across the country provided a home to this new genre of DJs, including Fabric, Cargo, 333 Club and Birmingham’s Medicine Bar.

A new movement

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Today, a new breed of musicians are concentrating on breaking down cultural barriers and removing stereotyping, where there is no history, rules or agendas. Rishi Rich’s ability to create authentic, traditional Asian music, while also producing underground hip-hop beats, Cultural Breaker: Rishi Rich. smooth RnB and Pop mainstream cuts, has established him as a cutting edge producer. Jay Sean’s ‘Eyes On You’ reached Number 6 in the UK mainstream chart in 2004. While Swami ‘s desi, hip hop, breakin’ urban vibes purposely blur the lines between the rival Bhangra and Asian underground scenes. His mammoth ‘Desi Rock’ was voted as one of the DJ Tracks of the 2004 by Radio 1. British Asian sound has firmly established itself in the UK, its roots remain strong but it grows more and more confident to travel the soundscapes and shake up the mainstream music industry. v Written by Faye Burton, BBC Asian Network interactive content producer. For more information see www.bbc.co.uk MELA UK 2008 29

FASHION: BINDI

ASIANA MAGAZINE TRACES THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE BINDI

ALL THAT JAZZ

The Bindi is as old as tradition and as new as the times. Bindi is derived from the Sanskrit word bindu, which means, “drop”. The original Indian Bindiya, the symbol of inner Shakti, the fabled red dot ‘Kumkum’ that women wore in the centre of their forehead has now become a Fashion Statement setting a global trend.

Manjeet Singh recalls how he and his wife, Jasvinder Kaur Bedi built up the most celebrated name in the bindi business - Jazzy Bindi.

family wedding in India during the early part of 1999 prompted my wife Jass to buy some bindis for her self as well as for other family members in India and the UK. The initial purchase was somewhat large for one person, so upon our return to London, when Jass decided to allocate the bindies to all her friends and family members, she then saw what she had actually bought, which was enough to for a little shop. As the next few months progressed all I would find in the room was boxes and packets of bindies, which later started to appear on my desk and all over the place. As I was looking at them so often I would see certain designs and re-arrange them in colour combinations and styles. Jass started to wear the bindies that I had styled and was complimented often and asked where she got her bindies from? Soon enough she had a few of her friends asking me

to do similar styles for them and we ended up selling the bindies to them. It was just a matter of a few more months before we would embark on a journey that would make Jazzy Bindi a household name. It was in July 99 that we took a small stall at an event which was held in a local park, and we were amazed to find that not only were Asian ladies coming to buy our goods, we were also attracting alot of attention from the English community. I noticed an article in the newspaper where the Prime Minister’s wife, Cherie Booth was shown wearing an Asian outfit with a tiny silver bindi. I then prepared a selection of our new designs and sent them to her. To our utter amazement we had a hand written letter from her thanking us for the collection o f bindies and wishing us luck with our new venture. My sister has now joined us and we are able to bring in more fresh ideas on producing bindies and we have started to add 15 to 20 designs every month to our ever growing collection. v

A dot of perfect purity associated with marriage and femininity, steeped in years of culture and custom. The traditional Bindi symbolises the mystic third eye of a person, which indicates good omen. The practice of wearing a Bindi is a Vedic tradition that women follow as confirmation to the spirit of womanhood. Bindi, which is also described as Sindhura or Tilaka means red. The color red is significant it represents Shakti (strength) and is also believed to symbolise love. When a bride steps over the threshold of her marital home with the red bindi on her forehead, is supposed to bode prosperity for the home she is entering. The bindi represents the woman’s married status, in most of the North Indian communities but in South India it is a custom for all women and girls to wear a bindi. Even the men wear a kumkum mark on their forehead, especially for traditional ceremonies. A Tilaka is also applied in many Indian communities as a traditional custom when welcoming guests; it is a symbol of auspiciousness, good fortune and festivity. The Bindi is an adornment that lights up your face and gives it a focal point. Bindi, on the beloved’s forehead is supposed to mesmerise her lover. Poets, through ages have composed poems and songs on the beautiful Bindiya of the damsel, attracting immense attention and being the first thing that catches the admirers eye. This little dot has always received a place of importance in Indian customs; it carries with it a wealth of meaning and is an on-going link with a very ancient custom and history. At sharans.com you will find a stunning range of handmade traditional and modern bindis to adorn you and leave onlooker’s speechless! Visit sharans.com. Reprinted courtesy of Asianamag.

A Bindi is as vital an accessory as earrings or bracelets. 30 MELA UK 2008

What do you see? The DVLA is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport. We aim to help improve road safety and the environment, reduce crime and improve public experience of government services through the efficient provision of driver and vehicle registration. Our key purpose is to establish and maintain accurate records of drivers and vehicles entitled to be on UK public roads. As an employer we are committed to supporting equality and diversity in our policy making, business, working relationships and employment practices. We take diversity seriously and support the aim of the Department for Transport to raise the profile of diversity in the transport industry. It is our aim to ensure that our services are delivered in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner. We support our staff with a range of family friendly policies.

A Country Lake? Trees? Blue sky? Somewhere To Go At The Weekend? Look again...... How about your workplace? To find out about working for Devon telephone 01392 686256 or emailfirstop@devon.gov.uk, quoting reference workdevon1. We are committed to equal opportunities in employment and service delivery, and are only interested in your ability to do the job.

Visit

NEWS ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY SPORTS EDUCATION GLOBAL STUDIES GAP YEAR TRAVEL FRESHERS MONEY LIFE & HEALTH ACCOMMODATION CAREERS BOOKS SOCIETIES NEWS ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION GLOBAL STUDIES GAP YEAR TRAVEL FRESHERS MONEY LIFE & HEALTH ACCOMMODATION CAREERS BOOKS SOCIETIES NEWS ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY SPORTS EDUCATION GLOBAL STUDIES GAP YEAR TRAVEL FRESHERS MONEY LIFE & HEALTH ACCOMMODATION CAREERS BOOKS NEWS SOCIETIES ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS ENTERTAINMENT TECHSPORTS EDUCATION GLOBAL STUDIES NOLOGY SPORTS GAPEDUCATION YEAR TRAVEL MONEY GLOBAL STUDIES FRESHERS GAP YEAR LIFE & HEALTH ACCOMMODATION TRAVEL FRESHERS CAREERS MONEY LIFE BOOKS SOCIETIES & HEALTH ACCOMMODATION CAREERS BOOKS SOCIETIES

student times.org

for

32 MELA UK 2008

EXHIBITION

TECHNICOLOUR HISTORY Painted Photographs: Coloured Portraiture in India. From the Alkazi Collection of Photography

his exhibition presents a unique Indian photographic form: the painted photograph. This technique, which emerged during the second half of the nineteenth century, made extensive use of colour tinting on images. The narrative paintings of the Ajanta Caves in western India (2BC/8AD) mark India’s first encounter with exquisitely coloured frescoes. Centuries later, Mughal miniature paintings were significant precursors to the development of the painted photograph.

1: Unknown photographer and artist, Wedding portrait, gelatin silver print, watercolour and gold, c.1900. 2: Unknown photographer and artist, Grandsons of Begum Sultan Jahan of Bhopal: Habibullah Khan (1903-1930) and Wahid uz-Zafar (1905-1922) wearing the sehera or wedding veil, modern gelatin silver print and watercolour, c. 2002, from original glass negative, 1910s, 297 x 250 mm. 3: Unknown photographer and artist, Young Maharana Bhopal Singh of Udaipur (1884-1955; r. 1930-55), platinum print, watercolour and gold, c.1900. 4: Unknown photographer and artist, Family portrait, gelatin silver print and oil painting, 1900s-20s. Permission to reproduce the above images for promoting the forthcoming exhibition, India: The Embellished Image – Painted Photographs from the turn of the 19th Century and Early 20th Century, to take place at Brunei Gallery – SOAS (10 July – 27 September 2008). 4774_02_Mela_BHM_ad_v4:4774_02_Mela_BHM_ad_v2 12/5/08 All images: Alkazi Collection of Photography

t THE

NATIONAL TRUST

“THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES PORTRAITS OF INDIAN RULERS.” Photography reached India in 1840, almost 200 years after the Mughals. The advancement in media and industry enabled fine artists to swiftly engage with the new technical medium. The range of exhibits here includes works from several royal principalities located between north and central India, primarily Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The exhibition includes portraits of Indian rulers standing against dramatic and theatrical backdrops, as well as studio and court images organised thematically. Ranging from aspects of kingship to modes of art practice, they explore a unique facet of the British Raj from the 1860s to the 1930s. v From 10 July – 27 September 2008 Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG, Admission Free, www.soas.ac.uk/gallery

The National Trust is about more than stately homes and conservation, it is connecting people with places in ways which inspire the involvement of both individuals and families. Engagement with local people from black and minority ethnic communities through HLF projects such as ‘Whose Story?’ in the West Midlands, and ‘London Voices’ is transforming their experience and creating new opportunities for everyone. Find your nearest place to visit, volunteer or work at

www.nationaltrust.org.uk MELA UK 2008 33

12:41

TEACH UK

Teaching is an important and increasingly popular choice of career for all kinds of people. Whatever your circumstances – if you’re about to graduate, or looking for a change of direction – there are more ways to enter the profession than ever before. See www.tda.gov.uk for full details and opportunities Find out from teachers themselves what a job in teaching is really like.

o ensure teaching is the right career choice for you, it makes sense to get some classroom experience. Training providers want to know that you have the skills and motivation to teach, and you will usually be expected to have experience of working with children of the relevant age, preferably in a school environment. Some institutions do not interview candidates who have not had recent observation experience in a state school. For primary Postgraduate or Professional Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses, many institutions stipulate that you should have completed a minimum of two weeks’ observation experience before your interview. Some institutions require 30 days or more. If you are not able to complete the experience quickly, do not delay sending your GTTR (Graduate Teacher Training Registry) application, but state in the application that you have experience arranged in the near future.

How do you get work experience?

Use your contacts through family and friends. You can also contact schools direct to ask for work experience or to observe classes or shadow teachers. Work experience in schools is popular and it may take time to arrange a placement. There are a number of programmes 34 MELA UK 2008

BECOMING A TEACHER available to gain experience of working in schools: • Student Associates Scheme (SAS): Allows current students to spend 15 days in a school working alongside experienced teachers and assisting in classroom teaching. It attracts a tax-free bursary of £40 per day. Find full details on the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) website.

“USE YOUR CONTACTS THROUGH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT SCHOOLS DIRECT TO ASK FOR WORK EXPERIENCE OR TO OBSERVE CLASSES.”

• Student tutoring programmes: Some institutions offer student tutoring programmes through which you go into schools to help with classes. This might be for one afternoon a week over a set number of weeks, or for a block placement. These programmes are often available through university careers services or students’ unions. • Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS): If you are a maths, science, technology, engineering or modern languages undergraduate, your department may offer a classroom-based module, which involves students spending around 40 hours working in schools. Students keep a journal of their time in school and give a presentation of their experiences, both of which are assessed. At the time of writing, about 88 departments in 34 universities in England offer the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS). • Open Schools Programme (OSP): Participating in the OSP will give you the opportunity to spend a day observing

MMU Institute of Education

Knowledge is precious...pass it on At MMU you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just learn theory, you practise it. Students participate in school based placements to get a feel of what the teaching profession is all about. With its commitment to high quality training, MMU students can be confident in playing a key role in raising standards to improve lives of young people. The wide range of education programmes on offer at MMU has been developed to include the latest in government policy. This ensures you are kept updated with changes that affect your education course, and you can be confident that your course will give you the essential skills, knowledge and qualification for a future career in education. Students from a range of educational and cultural backgrounds are drawn to the warm, friendly and supportive atmosphere and the commitment to equal opportunities within the Institute.

MMU is able to meet the challenges of the teaching profession head on because our teaching staff actively engage with relevant agencies and organisations to increase awareness of developments and policies in the field of education. In turn, you get to be properly informed. Once you have qualified as a teacher, the Institute is here to support and develop your career with full and part-time Continuing Professional Development programmes leading to Diploma, MA, MEd, MSc, MPhil, EdD and PhD qualifications. The Institute also provides degrees in Early Childhood Studies, Childhood Studies, Youth & Community Work, Careers Guidance and Education Studies. For more information, please visit our website at www.mmu.ac.uk/ioe

www.mmu.ac.uk The University for World-Class Professionals

www.essexschoolsjobs.co.uk

Career Opportunities in Schools Teaching and Support Staff There can be few more exciting places to begin a career in a school, or look for a new challenge, than Essex. The size, diversity of landscape and history - all combine to make this area one of the most special in the UK. Get in touch and we'll tell you all about the career opportunities in our schools. With over 570 schools there are many and varied opportunities, ranging from teaching assistant to Headteacher, from catering staff to school Bursar. You can now apply online for our vacancies. To find out more visit www.essexschoolsjobs.co.uk or telephone 01245 436252.

“KEEP A DIARY OF ANY WORK EXPERIENCE YOU DO; THIS WILL BE INVALUABLE WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING YOUR APPLICATIONS.” your chosen subject or age range being taught at one of over 700 participating schools. Telephone Visit the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) website to find out more. • Taster Courses and open days: These are organised by universities and colleges offering PGCE courses to offer an insight into teaching and teacher training. Taster courses last three days and tend to be targeted at shortage subjects or candidates from under-represented groups. Telephone the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 or visit the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) website to find out more. • Paid work: You may be able to obtain paid work in schools as a cover supervisor, teaching assistant, laboratory technician or learning mentor, for example. These posts are usually advertised on local authority (LA) websites or recruitment agencies. The TeacherNet website has more information on teaching assistants. • Voluntary work: Most local authorities (LAs) run schemes for voluntary mentors to work with pupils on a one-to-one basis.

Contact your LA for more information. Many universities work closely with local schools to encourage pupils to consider higher education (HE). University students can mentor pupils and help run summer schools and other events that link schools and universities. Ask your university careers service or widening participation/ access department if there are any activities you could get involved in.

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks

In some cases you will need to have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check done before you can undertake work experience. Explore this at an early stage when setting up experience, as the processing time for a check can sometimes hold up start dates.

Training Entry Profiles (TEPs) If you have accumulated active classroom experience, it may be worth completing a Training Entry Profile (TEP). This is a web-based resource that enables all potential trainee teachers to record and reflect on their teaching-related experiences and

School Governors are people like you!

School Governors are critical to the effective running of local schools and there are approximately 40,000 vacancies in England at any one time. School Governors are people like you. No formal qualifications are necessary and anyone who is aged 18 or over and has roughly 6-8 hours a month to spare is invited to apply. If you would like to make a positive difference to the education of local children, and contribute to your community, then the school governor role may be for you. For more information contact: School Governors’ One- Stop Shop Tel: 020 7354 9805 www.sgoss.org.uk email: info@sgoss.org.uk 36 MELA UK 2008

achievements. Your TEP may be used by a teacher training provider to analyse your individual training needs both before and during your course.

Work experience tips

• Keep a diary of any work experience you do; this will be invaluable when it comes to writing your applications or preparing for interviews. • Write notes about anything that you experience. For example, if a lesson did not work, think about how you would do it differently. • Think about classroom control, different teaching styles and effective uses of presentation or technology. v For full information see www.prospects.ac.uk

TEACH UK

NEW TO TEACHING The first few weeks in any job can be tiring, especially so for new teachers. As well as being in an unfamiliar environment, you’ll also be getting to know your new colleagues and, of course, your students. •A im to meet key people before the term starts, best done if you visit at the end of the previous term. You should have met the headteacher, your induction tutor and/or mentor and department heads before your first day. • To help you prepare, some information should ideally be provided to you by the school before you start: this could include a staff handbook, class lists, timetable details, information about resources available to you and copies of any school policies that are specific to new teachers. • Once you have started, it is worth spending some time each day familiarising yourself with school policies for homework, teaching the gifted and talented, discipline and others. •G ive yourself a few key goals for the first week. For example, aim to cement a handful of pupil’s names in your mind each day. Try to adopt the same pronunciation every student has for their own name. • Take in plenty of stationary. Lesson planners,

board markers and stationery for pupils, however, should all be provided by the school. • Be sure to find out how and where you can secure your personal belongings. You should be given a locker or something similar. • Introduce yourself to the ATL representative in your school. • Finally, remember not to put too much pressure on yourself - it can take time to settle in! If things go wrong, accept that people make mistakes at first. To ensure that your first few weeks run as smoothly as possible, also consider these ideas. • Become acquainted with your students. Ask relevant pastoral heads if there is anything specific you should know about your students - about medical conditions, previous national curriculum levels or special educational needs. • Introduce yourself to the non-teaching staff - they will invariably come to your rescue at some stage of the new term! • Make a note of anything that needs to get clarified. Hopefully the headteacher/ principal or your mentor will be available to go through these with you later on. Also familiarise yourself with individual school policies.

Profile

Looking after yourself

Always be at your best, both physically and mentally. Try to maintain a stress-free home environment and get plenty of sleep so that you can devote all your energies to the experience. It’s just as important, though, not to let your first year take over your life as the best teachers are also well-adjusted and balanced people! v Download ATL’s publication, Induction: making it work for you, full of further advice on how to get the most out of your first year in teaching, www.new2teaching.org.uk

TEACHING: A Rewarding Career

A great way to promote communities Name: Shamsa Hussain Degree Subject: Social Sciences and Religious Studies PGCE Course: PGCE Religious Studies College: Homerton What inspired you to become a teacher? The adage, “you never forget a good teacher” is very true. I wanted to be in a position to positively affect young, disillusioned students in the same way some of my teachers helped me. Also, education is imperative, it is the one proven thing, which helps people break out of the cycle of deprivation and I wanted to be apart of such an important profession. Also I wanted to work in a profession that constantly challenged me and one that did not involve sitting in front of a computer screen just mindlessly clicking away. What was the appeal of the Cambridge PGCE course for you? Cambridge is close to home, I knew it was commutable too. I did not want to go far from home for postgraduate, because I had gone far away for undergraduate. Also, Cambridge is one of the best institutions for the Religious studies PGCE, so this attracted me too. What did you do prior to the PGCE? I worked in Human Resources in the local council as an administrator- the most tedious, unchallenging job in history! Is Cambridge different from what you expected? If so how? If not, why not? Cambridge is not as pretentious as I

had assumed it would be, I know that is a negative stereotype but, I’ve been proven wrong! What has been your most rewarding school experience thus far? Perhaps, getting a ‘leaving card’ from a group of students who I had only taught for a month, they said they would miss me. This REALLY shocked me, because I did not realise that they liked me, or that I had even made a impression on them. What advice would you give to someone considering a PGCE at Cambridge? It is an excellent place for providing your teacher training. The faculty is very supportive and you learn from highly qualified professionals. The breadth of knowledge and expertise of the lecturers never fails to astound me! Also, you need patience when on the PGCE course. There will be so many things to learn, subject knowledge, teaching techniques, behaviour management, and it will feel like your juggling a thousand things at once. But, you have to understand that slowly everything will fall into place. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

>VÕ ÌÞÊ vÊ `ÕV>Ì

With outstanding Ofsted grades for all our courses, you couldn’t pick a better place to begin your career as a teacher. BURSARIES OF UP TO £9000 DURING TRAINING RECRUITING FOR SEPTEMBER 2008 WE OFFER COURSES FOR: - Secondary Teaching- Art and Design, Classics, Design and Technology, English, English/Drama, Geography, History, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Music, Religious Studies and Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) - Key Stage 2-3 Teaching - English, Mathematics and Science Specialism at Key Stage 3 - Early Years (ages 3-7) and Primary (ages 5-11) Teaching We are keen to establish PGCE courses which reflect the diversity of British society

SO IF YOU ARE... � Interested in a career in teaching � Seeking a new challenge � In your final year or recently graduated from University � Experienced in working with children in inner urban areas or in minority ethnic communities WE NEED YOU TO APPLY We are interested in receiving an application from you, so please apply and tell us why you have a passion for teaching and learning, and how you want to teach in state schools.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE OUR WEBSITE www.educ.cam.ac.uk/courses/pgce Or contact the PGCE office to discuss our courses and your application. Tel: 01223 767674 or 01223 767679

MELA UK 2008 37

UNIFORMED SERVICES

THE ROLE OF WOMEN OFFICERS TODAY

est Midlands Police shows where the opportunities are for women police today. Equal opportunities are an integral part of West Midlands Police policy. All roles are open to women. There are 2,137 female officers representing 23.75 per cent of the total force strength and 2,573 female police staff. Women officers are encouraged to apply for posts in areas where they are currently under-represented, e.g., the Operational Support Unit and the Firearms Operations Unit, although all departments have female members. West Midlands Police is proud of all those initiatives which may favourably affect the working conditions of female staff, and in the process also enhance the facilities available to our male personnel. Two members of our force were part of the executive group which wrote the Gender Agenda, a common agenda of the issues affecting the ability of women to achieve within the Service. This group represented the British Association of Women Police, Action E, the Senior Women Officers’ Conference, the Police

38 MELA UK 2008

Everyone, male or female, police or support

“ALL ROLES ARE OPEN staff, is entitled to apply to work part time or TO WOMEN. THERE ARE flexible hours. 2,137 FEMALE OFFICERS Help for pregnant women - female staff are taken off confrontational duties when REPRESENTING they become pregnant. A number of risk assessments have been undertaken to ensure 23.75 PER CENT OF their safety in the role they undertake. THE TOTAL FORCE First contact advisors STRENGTH AND 2,573 in the workplace is an unwanted FEMALE POLICE STAFF. Harassment feature of some organisations and females may be vulnerable to sexual harassment. Research WOMEN OFFICERS has shown that victims do not always seek ARE ENCOURAGED help through formal grievance procedures for a variety of reasons. In an attempt to provide TO APPLY FOR POSTS support and help for any member of staff who IN AREAS WHERE feels they are being harassed, West Midlands THEY ARE CURRENTLY Police have set up a team of ‘skilled helpers’ first contact advisors. UNDER-REPRESENTED.” called This is a network of police and civilian Federation, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ Women’s Group, the Metropolitan Association of Senior Women Officers, and the European Network of Policewomen. The initiatives we have introduced include: Flexible working - The force is fully supportive of flexible working and will try, wherever possible to accommodate requests.

staff trained to give confidential help, advice and support. Any action taken as a result of consulting an advisor will only be at the request of the complainant and no pressure is placed on any member of staff to act against their wishes. v For more information see www.west-midlands.police.uk/ our-people/women.asp

UNIFORMED SERVICES

WANT TO DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE? graffiti, abandoned vehicles and litter • protecting the public from security threats

There are many different ways you can contribute in the police force. You’ll find out much more detail on www.policecouldyou. co.uk, but read on for a quick overview of the roles.

Special constables

Police officers

As a police officer, you will be on the frontline of crime initiatives. But your exact role will depend on your force and whether you choose to specialise after your training. Everyone who wants to become a police officer has to complete a two-year probationary period working on the beat as a patrol constable. Many officers prefer to spend the majority of their careers on patrol - but others opt to transfer to more specialist areas of work. Whatever you choose, you will be guaranteed a varied, exciting and challenging role.

Police community support officers As a police community support officer (PCSO) you will be the eyes and ears of your force on the street. You will have to deal with an incredible range of issues, including: • supporting victims of crime • helping with house to house enquiries • dealing with truants,

You will be in uniform, but you won’t generally have police powers. The extent of your power can vary from force to force though, so it’s worth checking with the force you’d like to join. This isn’t a job for the faint-hearted, but if you want variety in a challenging and worthwhile career, then this could be for you. Specials, as they are commonly known, are an unpaid trained force of volunteers who support the police’s work, especially in terms of public disorder. As a special, you will have full police powers and will be asked to give four hours a

“WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE, YOU WILL BE GUARANTEED A VARIED, EXCITING AND CHALLENGING ROLE.”

Dedication: Chief Inspector Parm Sandhu. (see page 42)

week to your chosen force. You will provide a vital link between the regular (full-time) police and your local community and could come from any walk of life. You may be at home bringing up a family, or in full or part-time employment. You just need to want to help your community and have a desire to make things better. If this sounds like something you could do.

Make a difference

Of course, there are other roles in the police, which might be right for you. And you can find out more about that on www.policecouldyou.co.uk Whichever role is right for you, remember you will make a difference to yourself and your community by joining the police. v

Part of the team Part of the community

West Midlands Police currently comprises over 8,500 Police Officers, 740 PCSOs, 700 Special Constables, and 4,100 Police Staff in non-uniform jobs.

For more information visit our award winning website: www.west-midlands.police.uk/recruitment. You can also listen to the latest staff vacancies by calling our Recruitment Jobline on 0121 626 5500. West Midlands Police has a positive equal opportunities policy to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly. We welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, race, religion/belief, gender, sexual orientation or marital status. If you have a disability and you meet the essential job requirements, you will be short listed for inclusion in the recruitment process. All roles are eligible for part time hours.

33033

ike to give something back to your community? Then a career in the police force could be for you. Your job, put simply, will be to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Achieving this will mean: • meeting daily challenges • accepting responsibility • working as a team • g aining the respect of your community • and much more besides!

MELA UK 2008 39

Advertorial - Essex County Fire & Rescue

Meet the people behind Essex County Fire & Rescue... Profile: Tariq Khan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fire Fighter at Basildon Fire station (below)

efore joining Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS), Tariq was working as personal banker for 2 years. He then decided to apply to ECFRS s as a Fire Fighter with the encouragement of his father who was a Sub Officer at ECFRS. Tariq enjoys the challenges that the fire service brings. He is a keen sports person and enjoys maintaining his physical fitness, training together with his colleagues practising drills which simulate emergency situations. Tariq also enjoys the non operational aspect of the ECFRS by visiting members of the community and schools delivering fire safety messages. Tariq says that whatever your religion or culture is the fire service treats people with dignity and respect.

Profile: Sunil Kiri - SAP project (above)

unil, an honours graduate in Computer Science, joined ECFRS as an IT Applications Support Officer in 2002. He had previously held a number of positions with the IT industry; he began his career as a computer programmer and has also worked in IT sales and recruitment. Since joining ECFRS Sunil has undertaken a number IT related courses including formal project management training and has become

increasingly involved with a range of IT related business change projects. He is currently seconded as a SAP Project Manager within the HR department which he describes as very satisfying and positive challenge. Sunil says that some of the of the most positive aspects of ECFRS include working alongside a diverse range of friendly and supportive people and knowing that he is able to make a contribution towards making a Essex a safer place. Out of work hours Sunil enjoys his family time with his wife and 2 young boys aged 11 and 8 years.

Interested? To find out more,visit www.essex-fire.gov.uk Contact: Human Resources, 01277 222 531 Ext 2358/2281 and speak to Shamrika Sydes or Jayne Dando.

The most positive aspect of ECFRS is working alongside a diverse range of friendly and supportive people.

Essex County Fire & Rescue Service

MAKING YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE JOIN THE FIRE SERVICE At Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, we want our organisation to be as Diverse as the community it serves. Everyone has a contribution to make regardless of their background. And there is something else you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great place to build a career. We offer all our employees a challenging and rewarding work environment, whether you choose to be a firefighter, engineer Craftsperson, HR professional, Control operator, Logistics Support worker or one of our many behind the scenes roles, we value all our employees.

To find out more: Visit www.essex-fire.gov.uk Contact: Human Resources: 01277 222 531 Ext 2358/2281 and speak to Shamrika Sydes or Jayne Dando.

UNIFORMED SERVICES: PARM SANDHU

PAVING THE WAY

hen Parm Sandhu joined the police, she kept her job a secret from her parents for six months. As she predicted, the traditional Sikh couple were dismayed when she finally summoned up the courage to tell them. Labourer Malkit Singh and his wife Gurmaj Kaur tried to dissuade their daughter from carrying on in the force, fearing her life would be at risk. With their roots in the Punjab - and with neither speaking English - the thought of their girl being in the front line fighting crime was a world away from the future they had imagined for her. The chief inspector in the Metropolitan Police proved them wrong when she was named an Asian Woman of Achievement for attaining the highest rank for an Asian female police officer in the UK. Few women make it to the top of the police service, with only one in 13 Met chief inspectors being female. But Mrs Sandhu, 42, beat the odds to become the sole Asian female Chief Inspector. She said: “Initially I did not tell my parents I had joined the police because I knew I would face opposition. They were worried I would get hurt. But gradually they realised I can look after myself. My mother is over the moon about it now. She has a photo from my passing-out parade on the wall so all her visitors get to see it.” Mr Singh, now retired, came to Britain about 50 years ago. His wife arrived from India to join him seven years later. At home in Handsworth, Birmingham, they Top insert: Parm Sandhu receiving the Asian Woman Award from Sir Ian Blair. Above: Parm on the beat with colleagues.

42 MELA UK 2008

When Parm Sandhu joined the police, she kept her job a secret from her parents for six months – fearing their disapproval. Now she is the sole female Chief Inspector in the Metropolitan Police. “I’VE BEEN THROUGH SO MANY OBSTACLES BUT I’VE REMAINED A FIGHTER. I’VE GOT TO QUITE A SENIOR RANK AND I‘M THINKING OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FOLLOWING ME. I’VE GOT A DUTY TO TRY AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE PERSON FOLLOWING ME.”

instilled old-fashioned Sikh values in their six children. Mrs Sandhu left school at 18, but a variety of jobs left her dissatisfied until, at 24, she took a post as a fraud investigator for social services and found her calling as a crimefighter. It was not only her parents who objected to her new path. As a community bobby she was told by a fellow officer she would have to choose between a career or children. Mother-of-two Mrs Sandhu, who is no longer married, said: “I proved that individual wrong.” The high-flyer was recruited to a diversity unit in New Scotland Yard and made a chief inspector two years ago. Mrs Sandhu, who lives in Essex, said: “I would love to become a chief constable. I hope other Asian girls learn from my example - if they put their minds to it they can achieve anything.” v

THERE’S ONLY ONE THING STOPPING YOU FROM BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER. PERCEPTIONS. Policing’s not a black or white thing. It’s not a male or female thing. It’s a community thing. At Hertfordshire Constabulary, we want our force to be as diverse as the community it serves. Everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of their background. And there’s something else you may not know. It’s a great place to build a career. You could work with the community – with schools or citizens’ groups, for example – or specialise in a specific area, like fraud or organised crime. But it’s not just about what you can give us. It’s about what we can do for you. As a police officer, you’ll develop skills you never knew you had. Confidence, for example, and the ability to handle yourself in almost any situation. Most of all there’s the huge variety. This is the kind of career where you never know what’s around the corner. You could be walking the beat one minute, dealing with serious crime the next.

It’s not easy. It’ll often make demands on your resources, physically, mentally, and sometimes even emotionally. But you’ll never have to cope alone. There are support structures in place, both formal and informal, that are there for you whenever you need them. And Hertfordshire is a uniquely friendly force. Everyone will know your name – from the Chief Superintendent on down – and your ideas will always be listened to. You’ll find you make friends for life. So if you thought being a police officer wasn’t for you, is it time to change your perceptions? For more information about joining Hertfordshire Constabulary, call 0800 358 3990, e-mail policerec@herts.pnn.police.uk or visit our website at www.herts-recruitment.police.uk

Working together for a Safer Hertfordshire Promoting Diversity

HEALTH: 60 YEARS OF THE NHS

JOIN IN THE NHS 60 YEAR CELEBRATIONS To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS this year, NHS Employers is helping trusts to celebrate NHS staff and the extraordinary difference they make. The NHS is full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. In 60 years there’s a lot to be proud of.

he anniversary week (30 June – 5 July 2008) will be the focus of celebrations, with a series of events taking place around the UK involving NHS staff, patients, carers and the public. These include: • 1 July - NHS Live, Wembley Stadium. Large scale event which will include an exhibition showcasing innovation and best practice in the NHS. • 1 July – Health and Social Care Awards 2008, Wembley Stadium. Awards ceremony that recognises and celebrates the

achievements of NHS and social care staff across the country. • 2 July – Service of Celebration, Westminster Abbey. A tribute to 60 years of the NHS. Guests will include the huge range of people who have made a contribution to the NHS over the years. • 5 July – NHS organisations up and down the country have organised events for the Saturday to celebrate the anniversary with their local communities. The NHS 60 team would love to hear about the events you are planning for the anniversary week. See contact details on

www.nhsemployers.org. The NHS ‘extraordinary’ campaign is enabling staff in all trusts to create an art installation from a series of postcards. We provide everything you need so that staff can write what makes them proud on a postcard and place it as part of the installation. More than 200 trusts are taking part, each of them helping to create the groundswell for a national campaign with celebrities, media coverage, press advertising and 60th anniversary events up and down the country. As part of NHS Employers’ 60th anniversary campaign, we are seeking current NHS staff to be part of a book of 60 staff and their stories, representing a snapshot of the NHS today. The book will celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things, with a focus on what makes NHS staff proud of their work. v See www.nhsemployers.org for further details.

You’re in safe hands From the time you’re born until the end of your life, nurses and midwives care for you and your family. Thanks to the Nursing & Midwifery Council’s work in setting standards and dealing with people who aren’t safe to practise, you can be assured that you’re in safe hands. The Code sets out the standards of conduct, performance and ethics you can expect from the people who care for you. Every nurse and midwife in the UK is signed up to it. You can read it on our website or we can send you a copy.

Go to

www.nmc-uk.org or call us on

020 7333 9333 44 MELA UK 2008

HEALTH: ASTHMA

HELP FOR ASTHMA SUFFERERS

sthma UK has developed two bilingual booklets to help South Asian people who have received emergency care for an asthma attack. ‘After your Asthma Attack’ and ‘After your Child’s Asthma Attack’, previously only available in English, are now available in Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu. The booklets include a section - to be filled in by the healthcare professional with the patient or carer - on what medicines should be taken in the first few days following an attack, and how to keep asthma under control following an attack. They also feature a tear-off bilingual Asthma Attack Card for patients to keep with them, to ensure that they and others know what to do in an asthma attack.One in six people who have received emergency care because of an asthma attack need emergency treatment again within two weeks (British Guideline on the management of Asthma, 2004). Research carried out by Asthma UK has shown that compared to the white population, South Asians are three times more likely to have an emergency hospital admission for their asthma. ‘After your Asthma Attack’ and ‘After your Child’s Asthma Attack’ were developed in response to feedback from healthcare professionals and produced in consultation with South Asian people with asthma.

“SOUTH ASIANS ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL ADMISSION FOR THEIR ASTHMA.” asian voice ad

5/5/05

10:45 am

Page 1

‘The interpreting service has made a huge difference to my grandmother’s asthma – she can now discuss her condition in a language she feels comfortable with and understands’.

How to order

If you are a healthcare professional and would like to order these resources, please contact the Supporter and Information team on 08456 03 81 43 or email info@asthma.org.uk. v For confidential advice and information on asthma, call the Asthma UK Adviceline on 08457 01 02 03 or email through the website at www.asthma.org.uk/adviceline

Languages available: Arabic Bengali Gujarati Hindi Punjabi Urdu Somali Soomaali

If you know someone whose first language is not English, we can still give them advice on asthma. They can discuss their concerns about asthma in the language of their choice. Asthma UK Adviceline

08457 01 02 03 9am–5pm, Monday–Friday Interpreting service for more than 100 languages Calls charged at local rates For translated versions of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ about asthma visit:

asthma.org.uk/faqs Registered charity number 802364 CV0010305

MELA UK 2008 45

Advertorial - NHS Professionals

Flexible work opportunities in the NHS to fit your life!

f you’re a qualified nurse or someone who wants to work in a caring environment but who needs flexibility to fit your career around other commitments, then NHS Professionals may be just what you are looking for. As the leading supplier of Flexible Workers to the NHS, NHS Professionals works with Trusts across the country, offering you the first choice of shifts in a variety of roles and clinical settings. It could be your key to a flexible working life enabling you to decide when and where you want to work. What’s more, because NHS Professionals is an NHS organisation, you have access to all the benefits that come from being part of the NHS team. This includes: • Competitive rates of pay • Access to the NHS Pension Scheme (subject to status) • Paid annual leave • Statutory maternity and sick pay •F ree mandatory training and the opportunity to increase your skills • Weekly pay • Working as a member of the NHS team alongside other staff NHS Professionals understands the need the offer a flexible way of working in the NHS, as many people have other commitments outside work, such as caring for older relatives or looking after the kids. NHS Professionals also offers a flexible way of working to students can fit earning extra money around studying. Here are two examples of how NHS Professionals has helped two individuals manage and develop their careers: Daniel Okyere, Registered Nurse, Learning Disabilities Registered Nurse Daniel Okyere used the flexible working opportunities provided by NHS Professionals to enable him to balance his desire to develop his career with the demands of raising a young family, supporting a working partner and studying for further qualifications.

Hafsa Desai, Registered Nurse. Hafsa is a qualified nurse specialising in paediatric cardio-thoracic intensive care nursing. She spent two years working through NHS Professionals as a neonatal nurse in Daniel regularly worked a couple of shifts a week with NHS Professionals, caring for adults with learning disabilities and complex health and mental health issues in the Hampshire area. He said: “I enjoy my work very much. It is satisfying and rewarding to help less able people achieve a degree of independence. “NHS Professionals enabled me to fit work around my studies and my family. The NHS is a good employer and NHS Professionals as part of this offers good pay rates and benefits, also the work is consistent and easy to book. It is not like agency work. I like being in control of when and where I work.”

Lancashire. She said: “I joined NHS Professionals as I knew they had the first choice of shifts at the Trust. I know staff working through NHS Professionals were given priority and that appealed to me. I always managed to get the work I wanted.”

Interested? If you’re interested in working with NHS Professionals you can take a look at our “Where can I work” search on our website www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk to find out where your nearest Trust is. You can then fill in our on-line application form.

“I joined NHS Professionals as I knew they had the first choice of shifts at the Trust. I know staff working through NHS Professionals were given priority and that appealed to me. I always managed to get the work I wanted.”

NHS Professionals

Hafsa made Audrey’s private hospital stay a much nicer experience. Now she’s enjoying a new career experience.

NHS PROFESSIONALS - A GREAT CAREER MOVE WHATEVER YOUR BACKGROUND

NHS Bank Nurses and Care Support Workers If you’re a Nurse or Care Support Worker who wants to experience working in a different environment, or maybe you want to fit work in around other commitments or simply want to earn a bit of extra money - we can help. We’re looking for nursing staff from all specialties to provide high quality patient care at over 70 Trusts across the country. Are you ready for a new way of working? Find out more (including where you can work) and apply by visiting:

www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk NHS Professionals is an employment organisation

making it work for you

EVERY CHILD MATTERS

“THE FOSTER CARER’S ROLE IS TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY CARE FOR THE CHILD. ALL CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE WILL BE LOOKED AFTER BY A LOCAL AUTHORITY AND THE FOSTER CARES WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCAL AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE THIS.”

48 MELA UK 2008

ostering is a way of providing a family life for children who cannot live with their own parents. It is often used to provide temporary care while parents get help sorting out problems, take a break, or to help children or young people through a difficult period in their lives. Often children will return home once the problems that caused them to come into foster care have been resolved and it is clear that parents are able to look after them safely. Others may stay in long-term foster care, some may be adopted, and others will move on to live independently.

Are there different types of fostering?

Types of foster care include: • Emergency - where children need somewhere safe to stay for a few nights. • Short-term - where carers look after children for a few weeks or months, while plans are made for the child’s future. • Short-breaks - where disabled children or children with special needs or behavioural difficulties enjoy a short stay on a preplanned, regular basis with a new family, and their parents or usual foster carers have a short break for themselves. • Remand fostering - where young people in England or Wales are “remanded” by the court to the care of a specially trained foster carer. Scotland does not use remand fostering as young people tend to attend a Children’s hearing rather than go to court. However, the children’s hearing might send a young person to a secure unit and there are now some schemes in Scotland looking at developing fostering as an alternative to secure accommodation. • Long-term - not all children who cannot return to their own families want to be adopted, especially older children or those who continue to have regular contact with relatives. These children live with long-term foster carers until they reach adulthood and are ready to live independently. • “Family and friends” or “kinship” fostering - where children who are looked after by a local authority are cared for by people they already know. This can be very beneficial for children, and is called “family and friends” or “kinship” fostering. If they are not looked after by the local authority, children can live with their aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters or grandparents without outside involvement.

Is fostering a job?

All foster carers are registered with and contracted to a local authority or voluntary or independent agency. Many foster carers are volunteers, but increasingly they are seen as professionals and receive a fee on a basis of being self employed.

FOSTERING & ADOPTION What do foster carers do?

The foster carer’s role is to provide high quality care for the child. All children in foster care will be looked after by a local authority and the foster cares will work in partnership with the local authority to provide this. The foster carers may also work with other professionals such as therapists, teachers or doctors to help the child to deal with emotional traumas or physical or learning disabilities.

What kind of people become foster carers?

Fostering agencies, including local authorities, need a wide range of people to meet children and young people’s very different needs. It is best for children to live with foster carers who reflect and understand the child’s heritage, ethnic origin, culture and language, and fostering agencies need carers from all types of backgrounds. People do not need to be married to become a foster family - they can also be single, divorced or cohabiting. Gay men and lesbians can become foster carers, although in Scotland they can only do so as single individuals living on their own. People in households with 2 or more unrelated adults of the same sex can’t foster in Scotland. There are no upper age limits for fostering, but fostering agencies expect people to be mature enough to work with the complex problems that children needing fostering are likely to have, and fit enough to perform this very demanding task!

What is the difference between adoption and fostering?

Foster carers share the responsibility for the child with a local authority and the child’s parents. Fostering is usually a temporary arrangement, though sometimes foster care may be the plan until the child grows up. This longterm or “permanent” fostering cannot provide the same legal security as adoption for either the child or the foster family but it may be the right plan for some children.

What is adoption?

Adoption is a way of providing a new family for children who cannot be brought up by their own parents. It’s a legal procedure in which all the parental responsibility is transferred to the adopters. Once an adoption order has been granted it can’t be reversed except in extremely rare circumstances. An adopted child loses all legal ties with their first mother and father (the “birth parents”) and becomes a full member of the new family, usually taking the family’s name. v For more information, see www.baaf.org.uk MELA UK 2008 49

A Is there room in your life to foster a child? Becoming a foster carer for Thurrock is your chance to make a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable children. Of course, we appreciate that fostering a child is not a decision to be taken lightly. You’ll need time, patience and a caring attitude, as well as room in your home. If you have all these to offer, give fostering a chance. For information on fostering for Thurrock call free on

0800 652 1256 The freephone line is open from 8am-7pm Mon-Fri and 9am-2pm on Saturdays or visit

www.thurrockfostering.gov.uk

Putting residents first 50 MELA UK 2008

Version:

Filename: 253817 125x92.5 Artworker Dave

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SBUR

s a single carer, Shabana first believed that agencies would not be interested in her, but she was soon approved as a short-term foster carer. “I fostered two teenagers and helped them to move on,” she remembers. “One of them said to me: ‘I think you’d make a wonderful mum.’ That comment stayed with me.” Shabana is also a social worker, and one day she was chatting with a colleague about how hard it could be to find adoptive families for black, Asian and mixed-ethnicity children that come from a similar background. Her colleague mentioned she had been familyfinding for three Asian siblings, but that, sadly, she had been unable to keep them together. A family had been found for the youngest child, a boy, but his two older sisters were still waiting. “To my surprise, I said to her, ‘What about me?’! No guarantees were made, of course, but I went through the training, and in 1998, Selina and Saira, who are now 15 and 10, came to live with me.” Shabana, who is Pakistani, Muslim, has a large extended family with a mix of ethnicities and cultures. Along with friends and colleagues, her family forms a strong support network, and Selina and Saira love being with them all. The girls also have direct contact with their brother, which they think is wonderful, and Shabana at times has even become a source of support to his adoptive family! Selina and Saira do miss having a younger brother living at home with them, however, which is why Shabana started the process again and became approved to adopt up to two more children, one a boy, in March 2003. “The girls would see our family as complete with another child,” she says. “I’ve also fostered since Selina and Saira came to live with me, and a while ago we looked after a baby boy

“I’VE FOSTERED SINCE SELINA AND SAIRA CAME TO LIVE WITH ME, AND A WHILE AGO WE LOOKED AFTER A BABY BOY FOR SIX MONTHS. WE ALL FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HOPED TO ADOPT HIM, BUT HIS BIRTH MOTHER WANTED A TWOPARENT FAMILY FOR HIM. IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR US ALL.”

FOSTERING & ADOPTION

SINGLE CARERS HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER!

Shabana, a single Asian adoptive mother of two girls, talks to Suzanne Harding about caring for her daughters and the family’s decision to adopt again.

for six months. We all fell in love with him and hoped to adopt him, but his birth mother wanted a two-parent family for him. It was really hard for us all.” Shabana has found that agencies tend to prefer couples, and feels she is battling a prejudice against single carers. “But we will keep going – we say we are like The Three Musketeers!” The adoption journey is hard and Shabana knows all about its frustrations, but as she says: “If the waiting is hard for us, what’s it like for the child waiting for the security of a permanent family? My eldest daughter has said to me: ‘If you hadn’t come along, we’d still be waiting.’ I just wish adoption agencies would look beyond the fact that a carer is single. Couples are the ideal – but whose ideal is that? They don’t tend to see what we have to offer, and I’m quite angry about that.” Shabana feels that single carers can offer perhaps even more support to a child than a couple. “Single carers need to make sure that we have things in place. Help is just a phone call away, and should anything happen to us, we make sure that the children would be cared for. There are so many single carers out there doing a good job, so please, give us a chance!” v All names have been changed.

You can

Adopt l No experience necessary l Over forties We are looking for people from all backgrounds, religions and cultures who can offer love and support to children who need adoptive parents. You can make a difference by offering love and support and a permanent home to a child or siblings. All our children have had a rough start and deserve the love and stability of family life.

l Single applicants l No big house or income needed

If you feel you could offer a child a home and change their life forever, please contact the adoption team for a chat.

Interested in adopting make the call

020 8227 5854 Or email adoption@lbbd.gov.uk

MELA UK 2008 51

Advertorial - GCHQ

Careers in British Intelligence

ou’ve heard about MI5 and MI6. But what about GCHQ, the third axis of Britain’s intelligence

service? A Civil Service organisation, GCHQ - Government Communications Headquarters - is one of the UK’s three intelligence services. Together, we support the Government and law enforcement agencies in combatting terrorism and crime. While our work is complex, fascinating and crucially important, it’s also open to everyone. You might be surprised to know there’s a potential career for you too. GCHQ has two functions. The first is to gather intelligence from electronic and digital signals (for example, computer to computer or from mobile ‘phones). The second is to make sure the Government’s IT infrastructure is kept safe from prying eyes. Most of our work is carried out at our award-winning offices in

NOT EXACTLY AN

ORDINARY

DESK JOB Cheltenham How many desk jobs involve you with counter terrorism or in cracking the activities of an international drugs ring? How many arms smugglers pop up in your inbox? Or hackers in your filing tray? Working with GCHQ will take you to some interesting places. Not physically perhaps, but the next best thing. Being in the front line of the fight against terrorism and crime isn’t exactly your ordinary desk job. But then, you’re looking for something more suited to your extraordinary talents. An equal opportunities employer who values diversity, we employ in excess of 4,000 people – including administrators and support staff, linguists, intelligence analysts, IT, electronics and communications specialists, mathematicians, accountants and purchasers. To find out more and apply please visit:

www.careersinbritishintelligence.co.uk Applicants must be British citizens. GCHQ values diversity and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community.

“Just because our work’s secret, doesn’t mean you’ll work alone. An established ‘Investor in People’ and ‘Times Top 100 graduate employer’, we’ve been recommended for our teamwork and support, and we’re strong on flexible working and the work/life balance.”

Cheltenham, where the vast majority of our c5,000 employees are based. Though IT is an important area of recruitment for us, we have plenty of other opportunities. Some of these are directly related to intelligence gathering – such as linguists, mathematicians, librarians and intelligence analysts. Others are more general, just as you’d find in any large organisation: for example, accountants, purchasing professionals, pay-roll, clerical and administration. Just because our work’s secret, doesn’t mean you’ll work alone. An established ‘Investor in People’ and ‘Times Top 100 graduate employer’, we’ve been recommended for our teamwork and support, and we’re strong on flexible working and the work/life balance. We’ll keep your skills up to date with an individually tailored Continuous Personal Development plan, and once you’re in, you can – within reason – switch careers and can expect full training and support to do so. On top of this, we offer competitive salaries and highly attractive benefits.

Diversity

Our work helps protect all British citizens, regardless of age, beliefs, colour or sexual preferences, and reflecting this diversity in our workforce is extremely important to us. Saying this isn’t always enough, and so we’ve developed policies and practices designed to put our thinking into practice. You can find out more detail on our recruitment website, but these include a prayer/ quiet room for different religious needs, specific initiatives for women, excellent disabled access and practical help and assistance to staff with different thinking styles (including dyslexia and dyspraxia). The important thing to know is that you’ll be on an equal footing with all other applicants. The nature of our work means we can only consider people who hold a current British passport.

Interested? To find out more and apply please visit: www.careersinbritishintelligence.co.uk

MELA LISTINGS Find your local Mela festivals for 2008

Wolverhampton Indian Summer June 6 onwards & throughout July

City of Wolverhampton College kicked off the city’s Summer celebration of Indian culture with an evening of feasting and entertainmen to celebrate a series of events to celebrate the contribution people of Indian descent have made to the city. Wolverhampton India Summer is part of a wider initiative - The Wolverhampton India Project - which aims to build on the existing links between the city and the sub continent by focussing on the three areas of trade, education and sport. Wolverhampton India Summer is a collection of events to celebrate the contribution of people of Indian descent to the city and enhance cultural understanding. The initiative is being promoted by a range of partners including the council, university, college and many others. Ashram Housing is the main sponsor of the programme of events. Throughout June and July Indian restaurants across the city will be celebrating the best of Indian food, with a series of set menus focussing on a different restaurant each week. The college’s Director

Band the drums: Bradford Mela, Sat 14 & Sun 15 June.

of International Strategy Simon Larson said: “City of Wolverhampton College is proud to be part of this innovative project celebrating fifty years of the significant contribution made by the Indian population to the city, in terms of education, sport, building the economy and enriching the culture of such a diverse community.” Jo Gittens, Director of International at the University, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this initiative and our students and staff are looking forward to celebrating Indian culture in Wolverhampton this summer.” The following Indian

Authentic clothing: Oldham Festival of Diversity, Saturday 12th July – 13th August 2008. 54 MELA UK 2008

restaurants will be taking part in India Summer: Kavi, Park Hall Hotel, 7th to 13th June, Contact Rishi Sharma on 01902 349533. Diva, 14th to 20th June, Contact Raj Singh on 01902 722888. Red Fort, 21st to 27th June, Contact Shan Herian on 01902 424440. Taste of India, 28th June to 4th July, Contact Naresh Sangha on 01902 424433. Café Rickshaw, 5th to 11th July, Contact Salim Hussain on 01902 425353. Wolverhampton India Summer is a collection of events to celebrate the contribution of people of Indian descent to the city and enhance cultural understanding. The initiative is being promoted by a range of partners including the council, university, college and many others. Ashram Housing is the main sponsor of the programme of events. The initiative forms part of the Wolverhampton-India Project, launched at the Houses of Parliament on 25 July 2007. Initially driven by Wolverhampton MP Pat McFadden, the Project is also supported by the city’s other MPs and also the Prime Minister. There is also high level support from the city council, the University of Wolverhampton, City of Wolverhampton College and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. Other

supporters of the project include Caparo, Ashram Housing, UK Trade and Investment, AWM, Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce and India-Pakistan Trade Unit. The main focus will be in the Punjab region where many benefits are anticipated in the three key strands of Trade, Education and Sport. There has been a long tradition of dialogue and co-operation between different faiths in the city. In 1974 Wolverhampton became one of the first towns to establish an inter-faith group, promoting friendship, understanding, justice, peace and harmony between people of different faiths and cultures. To find out more call 01902 551155 or visit www.wolvindia.org

Bradford Mela

Sat 14 & Sun 15 June A celebration of music, arts, food and produce from around the world, embracing the Sanskrit meaning of mela to the fullest. Over 200 market stalls selling everything you could want, from mouth watering foods of the world over, to clothes, toys and jewellery. After all that mouth wateringly delicious food you’ll want to work off some off those calories so why not visit the Sports Arena and test out just how fit you are. Join in the Junior Kabadi,

NATIONAL LISTINGS

Bollywood Brass Band: Croydon Mela, Sun 13 July.

football skills masterclass or try your hand on the Rugby Football league inflatable. The ‘Fabric Marquee’ will feature exhibitions of the work of some of Fabric’s 500 members including paintings, prints and photography plus a number of artists and designers selling jewellery, prints, cards and original clothing. The marquee will also feature acoustic performances from some of Bradford’s finest musicians. You will also be able to see sketches by Bradford artist Lou Sumray who will be wandering the Mela site with easel and umbrella sketching the goings on and creating a record of the Mela weekend. Also watch out for some new work by Bradford artist Shanaz Gulzar. Shanaz is creating a series of banners on bamboo frames using images from previous Melas and from Melas around the world. For the little ones in the family there is a special children’s area and take a trip around our beautiful world. Check-in, collect your passport and start your journey across the globe. Visit the Yurt tent, a traditional home for people in central Asia. Fly across to Baluchistan in Pakistan and the Punjabs in India and across to Bangladesh. Peel Park, Cliffe Road, 12 – 9pm, free, tel: 01274 43 2422, www.bradfordmela.org.uk

Preston Mela

Crawley Mela

The Preston Mela celebrates South Asian culture in all its forms, from food and fashion to music and entertainment, at the city’s Moor Park. The event was first held in 1997 and is now one of the biggest festivals in the North West. The park is transformed into a sea of colour, dance and music. Over 10,000 people enjoy the celebrations, which include fashion shows, kite-making, henna painting, dance and music performances from top artists. Preston Mela is now in its eleventh year as a major public - community cultural event for the city. This event will be a one-day flagship event to showcase and promote South Asian heritage, art and culture in Preston, celebrating cultural diversity thereby promoting community cohesion. The committee plan to do this by organising a full day festival that supports and promotes both traditional and conventional South Asian arts, culture and heritage of music, dance, crafts and food. It will include a full programme of performances by professional artists, a number of interactive craft, dance and music workshops, fashion shows, crafts activities and food stalls. Moor Park, 12 – 8pm, free, k.plano@preston.gov.uk

Crawley Dhamaka Fun Day, Multicultural Youth Activities What do you do when you’re consistently the biggest event in town? For CIMA, the answer is to challenge our members to find new ways to engage the community and share the wealth. Since 2003 the Crawley International Mela Association (CIMA) has built the Mela Festival into the largest single event in Crawley, attended by more than 10,000 people over three days. 2007 was no exception. But the Association is much more than a festival organiser -

15 June 2008

21 June - 26 July

CIMA is a year round community service. We sponsor and run multicultural outreach events, fundraisers, social activities, the Childrens’ Parade, and the Artist In Residence programme at local schools. All this takes a massive amount of time and effort for our volunteers. This year we’re taking a break from festival organizing to catch our breath and recharge our creative batteries. While the festival programme team is hard at work planning a bigger, better festival for 2009, most of the committee is bringing out new activities for 2008: June 21 - Childrens’ Multifaith Parade, 12pm, Garden of Remembrance to West Green Playing Fields June 21 - Summer Dhamaka Fun Day from 1pm at West Green playing fields June 21 - “Unsigned” ViYC and CBC Open Mic Night for acoustic bands, at the Hawth Studio from 8pm July 26 - Dances of India, performed by Sutton Subrang at the Hawth from 7:30pm September (TBA) - Youth Evening at the Hawth in collaboration with Crawley ViYC to launch the CIMA Youth Team stay tuned for details! Stalls and Pitches. There will be some opportunities for retail stalls at the Summer Dhamaka

Sukshinder Shinda: Croydon Mela, Sun 13 July. MELA UK 2008 55

Fun Day on June 21st. We expect more than 3000 visitors over the afternoon and rates are in line with projected attendance. See www.crawleymela.org for details, news, progress reports on the developing plans for community events and the Mela Season, programme details, helpful hints on parking, locations of stalls and workshops, special offers and links to our bands and acts’ websites.

Glasgow Mela 22 June

Party time: Wolverhampton Mela, June 6 onwards & throughout July.

Glasgow Mela is a multicultural family festival, based on the traditions of the Indian Sub-continent. Set up in 1990 when Glasgow was European City of Culture, the Mela has grown from being an indoor event at Tramway to an outdoor extravaganza with over 50,000 people attending. The Scottish Academy of Asian Arts took over the running of the Glasgow Mela and Mela 2007 will be the eighth Mela under the SAAA banner. The Mela continues to go from strength to strength and has

become an important event in Glasgow’s cultural calendar. The Mela embraces the many cultures that make Scotland such a diverse nation, with music from reggae to Russian folk, Latin American beats, Pan African music and of course Bollywood and bhangra. Headline acts include: World Stage 2008 Sukshinder Shinda A gifted singer, composer and producer, Sukshinder Shinda has collected an impressive string of hits that are known throughout the world. Shinda has been a force in the Asian music scene for over 15 years and has had string of smash hits including ‘Balle’, ‘Collaborations’ and recently ‘Livin the Dream’. The Destroyers & The Dhol Blasters This is a unique group collaboration between ‘The Destroyers’ and the ‘Dhol Blasters’ an amazing spectacle of 20 musicians on stage together! The two bands have been working together over the past year and the Glasgow Mela will be the first performance of this collaboration in Scotland! Fusing Bhangra and Dhol rhythms with Eastern European folk, jazz, ska and everything else inbetween, this performance cannot be missed! www.freakmusic.co.uk Northern Lights Northern Lights promise to bring an innovative mixing pot of dance, song, and infectious beats that will be irresistible to the Mela crowd. Tarv Singh has previously hosted the Awaz Mega Mela in Strathclyde Country Park in 2003 and hosted the Glasgow Mela in 2004 and 2005. In 2005 Tarv released his first album ‘Sparked’, staying at number 1 for 7 weeks in the British Asian Music Charts. Tarv is now based in London and is a radio DJ for Asian FX. Watch out for the new Northern Lights album ‘Relit’ out on Liquid Records in 2008.

Child’s Play: Bradford Mela, Tunbridge Wells Mela, Sun 20 July. 56 MELA UK 2008

NATIONAL LISTINGS

Tigerstyle Glasgow Mela is proud to play host to this home grown talent. Glasgow’s own Raj and Pops are proficient in tabla and Pujabi folk music, but as famous DJ’s and producers extend their tastes to drum n bass, hip hop, dance and bhangra. Tigerstyle are one of the few Asian acts to have ever recorded a live session for the legendary late Sir John Peel. They were given the opportunity to showcase material from their forthcoming album supported by a full live band and feature vocalists at the first ever BBC Electric Proms in September 2006, and were selected out of 1000s of bands to perform on the first ever BBC Introducing Stage at the Glastonbury Festival in July 2007.

2210, info@saaa.org.uk, www. glasgowmela.com

Awaz FM The Glasgow Mela welcomes back local boys Awaz FM with their interactive roadshow. They will compere the World Stage this year spinning the best desi, bhangra, bollywood and Lollywood tunes, not to mention hyping the crowds with their undeniable fun filled ways!

Cardiff Mela

Oxford Mela Sun 22 June

Returing for its third year! Free family event for all to enjoy, participate in and celebrate Oxford’s diverse communities. The event is managed by Oxford City Council in partnership with Oxford Brookes University and Thames Valley Police.A number of other organisations also sponsor and support the event. A wide variety of sports, music and dance activities will take place through out the day. Cowley Marsh, 10am – 5.30pm, free, www.oxford.gov.uk/news/ mela.cfm

Sun 29 June

Hosts this year are cheeky and funny Zee Muzic Presenter Dolfin and Bibby Singh. Since starting his career in 2003, Dolfin has seemed to take the Asian media and music industry by storm. His success at the 2006 Zee Carnival which led

Fun for the family: Glasgow Mela, 22 June.

Desi Bravehearts The group consist of 9 young people from Scottish, Indian, Chinese and Pakistani background. The group were trained by the much sought after choreographer in the Bollywood Film Industry Pratap Shetty. Pratap was one of the choreographers for Nach Baliye 3 equivalent to Strictly Come Dancing in the UK. The shows were aired on Star TV and his pair was the runners up in the final. Kathak dancers SAAA’s very own students will display their skills they have learnt at evening classes throughout the year with our new Kathak tutor Sudakshina Kundu. Contact SAAA office. Contact: Ashley Cook, Scottish Academy of Asian Arts Project Co-ordinator Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, 12 noon-8pm. Tel: 0141 423

Hands in the air: Glasgow Mela, 22 June. MELA UK 2008 57

Trickbaby: Croydon Mela, Sun 13 July.

Ameet Chana: The London Mela, Sun 12 August.

to a 10 date Mela tour, from Edinburgh to Bristol. Such was his popularity that he has already been rebooked for a further tour this year including none other than Cardiff Multicultural Mela! He has interviewed the likes of Shilpa Shetty and with his cute looks and wild attitude Dolfin will leave you just guessing what he will do next. Bobby Singh is currently working on his solo material which is set for release next year; already his vocals have been used by Panjabi MC as well as other well known artists. He has worked with RDB on the smash hit compilation album Danger 2 released by untouchables records. The 35 year old city-born son of Punjabi immigrants, now a professional singer with four children is the embodiment of that overused political buzzword multicultural. Appropriately, this truly Welsh Sikh is the host of the city’s first outdoor festival 58 MELA UK 2008

celebrating Cardiff’s multicultural communities. Main Performances include the Sona Family, dancer and singer Mona, Reenie and Hassaan Khalid. Oval Basin, Roald Dahl Plass, all day, free, www.cardiffmela.com

Eastleigh Music Festival and Eastleigh Mela

Friday 11 - Sun 13 July With the Mela only taking place on Sunday, visitors are invited to enjoy confirmed acts for the weekend include Seth Lakeman, Nick Harper, Max Pashm, N’Faly Kouyate & Dunyakan and there are many more still to be announced. Held over Leigh Road Recreation Ground the festival will include a Big Top covered stage and a mini top acoustic stage. As well as stalls selling fairtrade goods & Hampshire Fare produce there are extensive activities available for all ages

throughout the day. There will be something to entertain everyone with a free open site during the day on Saturday and all day Sunday from 10am - 9pm. Ticketed concerts will commence in the evening on Friday and Saturday. This year the Mela will be extended into the evening. The night is free and includes N’Faly & Dunyakan, Max Pashm & Kasbia Knights and many acts throughout the day including The Huckleberries & Tzee & the Africa Beyond Band. Leigh Road Recreation Ground, The Point, Eastleigh, Fri – Sun 10am – 9pm, £14/8 Concessions for Friday’s Concert, under 16’s have to be accompanied by adults, otherwise free

Oldham Festival of Diversity Saturday 12th July – 13th August 2008

Oldham Mela takes place Sunday 13th July in Alexandra Park, 1pm – 9pm, no door charge. This years’ Festival of Diversity has just got bigger and better thanks to the commitment of people from across the Borough. The Festival promises something for everyone during the five weeks of community culture celebrations: Oldham Family Mela, Oldham Pride, National Play Day, Disability Awareness Day Oldham Community Performance Week at Coliseum Theatre, community street parties, New writing and community performances from Peshkar, Intergenerational sports and youth lead events. A whole host of community activity in a whole host of Oldham community locations. The Festival opens with Street Party People in and around

Parish Church, Oldham Town Centre. Different communities will be coming together to share aspects of their culture in a carnival of colour and local entertainment. Talent from Age Concern and Oldham Youth Service: Beat box break dancing and Frank Sinatra all on the one stage! Travelling art exhibition, participatory dance and displays, free style football competition, choirs, face painting and Brazilian drumming, just some of the activities taking place. The launch is followed by Oldham Mela 2008 in the spectacular surroundings of Alexandra Park, one of the countries best examples of regenerated parkland, the day promises to be packed with stalls, food and entertainment with a special big top family activity space. Tel: 0161 624 1731, www. festivalofdiversityoldham.co.uk

Croydon Mela Sun 13 July

Acts faturing in this year’s Mela include: Sukshinder Shinda: A gifted singer, composer and producer with an impressive string of hits across the world, Sukshinder Shinda has been a force on the Asian music scene for over 15 years. Shinda won Best Act and Best Album at the 2008 UK Asian Music Awards. The Dhol Blasters – True Roots & Colours of Punjab: After banging their drums with UB40 at Live8, The Dhol Blasters are coming to Croydon. This youthful team of vibrant dhol drummers and Bhangra dancers, led by King Gurcharan Mall, described as the “most famous dhol player of all time”, they have already earned themselves gold and platinum discs. Their bright Punjabi costumes and energetic drumming are enough to make anyone want to dance. Trickbaby: A six-piece band from London, Trickbaby have sold over 2 million albums worldwide via extensive contributions to Bollywood movie soundtracks. Johnny Depp is said to be planning to use their music in a film shooting later this year and

NATIONAL LISTINGS

their latest release is receiving extensive coverage on Radio One. Bollywood Brass Band: Funky drummers and a hot six-piece horn section play massive hits from Indian films, Bollywood Brass Band are driven by the huge beat of the dhol. With a uniquely London blend of Hindi film soundtracks, Bhangra rhythms and brass, plus influences from jazz, world music and dance remixes, they give a phenomenal live performance. Lloyd Park, Coombe Road, Croydon, 1pm-8pm, free, tel: 0208 760 5672, www.croydonfestival.com

Southampton Mela Festival Sat 19 July

The Festival is back to spice up the city! Once again Hoglands Park will come to life with the colours, sounds and smells from the South-Asian continent, as people from the local and surrounding communities get together to have fun and celebrate traditional and modern South-Asian culture in this free festival. This year, the event has also joined forces with the K2 Festival organisers. It will offer: Live music and dance on the main stage - styles ranging from South Asian Classical, Folk, World Music, Qawwali, Asian fusion, Bhangra to Bollywood Workshops and Demonstrations in Music & Dance and Arts & Crafts Family fun with a range of Arts & Crafts activities, a designated play area and a funfair Stalls - varying from ethnic clothes and accessories, beauty and henna hand tattooing, arts & crafts, community and much more. Hoglands Park, SO14 1NH, Southampton, 12 – 9pm, free, events@southampton.gov.uk

Middlesbrough Mela

Debashish: Croydon Mela, Sun 13 July.

2008. The event started in the town centre in 1991 and soon outgrew the venue and made a very positive move to Albert Park, right in the heart of the BME community. The park has been the recipient of Heritage Lottery funding to restore it to its former glory and the event benefits from the spectacular back drop. We regularly get up to 30,000 visitors and even last year with torrential rain the event attracted 27,000 people. Middlesbrough Mela is notoriously a completely trouble free event. The audiences are growing year on year. The event is organised by Middlesbrough Council in conjunction with the Middlesbrough Mela Steering Group, made up of members of the local community. We have a terrific line up for you this year and acts will be announced soon. The Saturday Sports day was been extended to make it part of the whole event Name Albert Park, Park Vale Road, Middlesbrough, Sat 12 – 5pm, Sun 12 – 7pm, free, tel: 01642 729 225, www.boromela.co.uk

Slough Mela Sun 20 July

Slough Mela is back this year with its unique mix of fun, music and information. All the fun of the fair, with live music on stage. community. charity and information stalls, refreshments, trade stands inlcuding fashion, jewellery and make-up, children’s activities. No flags or alcohol will be permitted in the park. Upton Court Park, 12 – 8pm, £3/four for £10

Sat 19 & Sun 20 of July

Tunbridge Wells Mela

Middlesbrough Mela is celebrating its 18th year in

Music, food and dance from

Sun 20 July

Tigerstyle: Glasgow Mela.

around the world will be on the menu at the third Tunbridge Wells Mela on Sunday July 20 at the Calverley Grounds between 12pm and 5pm. The free event is expected to attract a large audience, who will witness performances and be able to taste food from around the world, including Britain, India, Ireland, Bangladesh, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Brazil. The performances on stage will include Pipe Band (An energetic performance of Highland Bagpipes), Premier Brass Band (Classic tunes by the Kent based brass band), Angela Wooi Belly Dancing Troupe (Traditional Egyptian / Arabic dancing), Tricky Beats African Drumming (The Tunbridge Wells group is a seven-person ensemble expressing traditional WestAfrican music through energetic and uplifting rhythms). Calverley Grounds, 12 – 5pm, free, tel: 01474 369329, nwk_rec@hotmail.com

Swindon Mela Sat 26 July

Food is an essential ingredient of any Mela. The Swindon Mela has fourteen food stalls from a variety of caterers offering Punjabi, Gujerati and Halal food as well as delicious Indian ice creams and sweets. Swindon Mela is more than music and dance. There are plenty of ways to delve into and enjoy Asian inspired activities including all day arts and crafts workshops, Carrom tournaments, sari and turban tying plus walkabout street theatre and entertainments. If it all gets a bit too much and you need to take a breather, what better place than the Health Zone? An area of calm amidst the bustle, the Health Zone offers people a chance to try out alternative therapies such as Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy and Reiki, plus take part in workshops such as Tai Chi and Yoga. A wealth of information towards living a MELA UK 2008 59

naturally more healthy life. A wide variety of Asian products from over 40 trading stalls selling contemporary and traditional clothing, jewellery, accessories, music, spices and nik naks. Something for everyone! Town Gardens, Swindon, all day, free, www.swindonmela.com

Mela Festival Nottingham Sun 27 July

Enjoy this annual celebration of Asian culture in its new home, the Old Market Square and experience live music, dancing, arts and food galore! Mela is also a fantastic opportunity for all to experience Nottingham’s up-and-coming artists perform and exhibit their talents. Old Market Square, Nottingham, 12 – 6pm, free

Birmingham Eid Mela Sun 27 July

Birmingham’s Muslim communities transform Cannon Hill Park for the city’s largest ever Mela, featuring music, sports (including kabaddi), dressage and a family fun run, bazaars, fashion shows and radio roadshows. Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, 2 – 8pm, free

Leeds Mela

August (date tbc) The biggest Asian event in Leeds and one of the largest in the country, the Leeds Mela at Roundhay Park is a vast celebration of Asian culture and traditions. With live music, a funfair and multicultural stall holders, the Mela has plenty to keep people busy - programmes in the past have included a fashion show of traditional dress, falcon displays and hot air balloon rides. Don’t miss the food! Roundhay Park, Roundhay, Leeds LS8 1DF. See www.leeds.gov.uk for updates.

60 MELA UK 2008

Rochdale Borough Mega Mela Sat 2 Aug & Sun 3 Aug

The multicultural event is being organised by Multicultural Arts and Media Centre with all communities for the past 14 years, and with in-kind support from the environment department, health and safety departments from the Council, emergency services and the Police. Meetings are taking place with schools, community groups and Borough wide festival and carnival organisers to join hands to share dates, artists and resources to help each other. The Mela has always been a borough wide free multicultural event which brings all communities together in a festival atmosphere where everyone can enjoy visual arts workshops, sports, funfair, food, and entertainment by local, national and international artists. The event also provides a fantastic opportunity for the business community to share information, network and market their products to all communities”. If you are interested to take part as an artist, information or trade stall holder, organisation, sports team or sponsor, please contact: M. Sarwar (Chief Executive) call or email. Bowlee Park, Heywood Old Road, Middleton, 10.00am 8.00pm, free Contact: Mohammed Sarwar: Tel 01706 642954.

Luton Mela Sun 3 August

Luton Mela is back, bigger and better than ever before! ...you can also see and hear the best in Asian music, culture and artistic performances. English urban musician Hunterz whose influences include Arabic, Hindi and Bhangra sounds is topping the bill at this year’s Luton Mela. . . Hunterz first made his vocal debut in 2003 with the bhangra album ‘Most Wanted’ followed by Phat Trax Vol 1: Blazin in 2004 with most songs

BBC Radio 1: The London Mela, Sun 12 August.

featuring a contrast of Hindi lyrics with rapping in English. He has also featured on the album Streets of Bollywood and co-wrote and sang the single ‘Reasons’ with the dub/reggage band UB 40, which he also performed at the Live 8 London concert in Hyde Park. This year’s event organised by the Mela Group, a community led group with support from Luton Cultural Services Trust, and funding from Luton Borough Council, will feature Bhangra, Bollywood and Bangla sounds as well as Asian urban music. Andy Grays, Director of Arts, Luton Cultural Services Trust said: “Luton’s Mela is unique and is now the largest free event of its kind in the East of England region. Together with the Mela Group we are planning a great line-up of artists and performances showcasing the best of international, national and local Asian artists. This is one event not to be missed.” The final programme for the day is currently being finalised and

will be revealed shortly. The Mela will also include funfair rides , street entertainment, free arts activities for children,variety of Asian foods, ethnic crafts and charity stalls and much more. Cllr Mohammed Ashraf, Executive Member with responsibility for arts and leisure said: “The Luton Mela 2008 will be a great day out for all the family to enjoy showcasing a variety of dance and music performances for all ages and tastes. This is a great opportunity for communities to come together to help celebrate Asian arts and culture and make this year’s Mela an even bigger success.” Wardown Park, Old Bedford Road, Luton, 12pm-7pm, free For more information about the Luton Mela contact Hafiza Mohamed, Luton Cultural Services Trust on 01582 87 81 00 or visit www.luton.gov.uk/mela

East London Mela Sun 3 August

The East London Mela

NATIONAL LISTINGS

music, art and food of Asian culture. As well as traditional displays of dance and music, the Mela also plays host to contemporary Asian music acts. Lasting an entire weekend, the Mela promises endless fun, music, games and exhibitions as well as stalls selling arts and crafts, food and drink. There is also a programme aimed at children that promotes further understanding of Asian culture. Exhibition Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, open all day, free

Edinburgh Mela Festival

Mon 25 - Sun 31 August

Bling: Edinburgh Mela Festival, Mon 25 - Sun 31 August.

offers extensive activities targeting the whole family. The event brings together the diverse ethnic communities from East London and surrounding areas. It has effectively integrated these communities together and now it has also extended its appeal to the wider communities. Attractions range from all the fun of the fair through to live music presented on a live concert stage, with community, information and food trade stands in between. Live acts this year include: Jazzy B, Jassi Sidhu, H Dhami, Juggy D, Imran Khan, Alyssia, Bee2, MC Special, Khiza and Suman, Mona, Navin Kundra, SK1 and Lehmber. Barking Park, Longbridge, IG11 8AT, 12 – 8pm, £5/£2 (under 12s)/free for under 5s, www.eastlondon-mela.com

The London Mela Sun 12 August

One of the biggest

celebrations of Asian culture and creativity in Europe, the London Mela will feature live music, dance and performance from the UK and overseas, ranging from classical to contemporary. Gunnersbry Park, 12 – 9pm, free, www.londonmela.org

Belfast Mela Sun 24 August

Live International Music & Dance, World Bazaar, Ethnic Arts Exhibitions, Handicraft Market, Children’s Activities, Henna, Chai Serai, Street Entertainment & Hindi Film at QFT. Tel: 028 90231 381, www.belfastmela.org.uk

Newcastle Mela

Sun 24th & Mon 25th August Held annually in Exhibition Park, the Mela is a free event that celebrates Punjabi, Pakistani, Bengali and Hindi cultures. Everyone is invited to experience the various

Scotland’s biggest intercultural festival is back, and promises to be a stunning display of international and local talent. Savour tastes from across the globe at the many food stalls, enjoy dazzling dance, fabulous theatre and a whole load of musical styles as some of the best performers around hit town, or simply or browse the many craft stalls. Whatever you’re into, whatever your tastes, the Edinburgh Mela makes a great day out. The Edinburgh Mela is increasingly seen as a central part of Edinburgh’s Festivals. Building on this success, the Mela will now be a weeklong festival – moving to the waterfront beside Ocean Terminal in Leith. A carnival atmosphere with a vibrant and exciting mix of theatre, dance and music. The Edinburgh Mela Festival is a lively event for all the family. Supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Arts Council and sponsored by Forth Ports the Mela Festival has grown in recent years to a bigger and bolder week-long Mela Festival based in Leith, Edinburgh. Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Leigh, Edinburgh, all day, some free events, tel: 0131 347 2600, www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk

Maidstone Mela Multicultural Festival Sun 7 Sept 2008

Maidstone Mela, the Official Launch. Celebrate the launch of the Maidstone Mela by taking part in lively family arts activities provided by community arts organisation Same Sky.

Sun 14 September A mela is a traditional Asian celebratory meeting or gathering, usually held in rural villages where communities join forces to enjoy a day of music, dancing and feasting. The Mela, Maidstone’s premier multi-cultural food, music and dance event, takes place every September in Mote Park, and attracts thousands of visitors to the county town. The mela is organised by the North West Kent Racial Equality Council in partnership with Maidstone Borough Council. Mote Park, Maidstone, 12.45 pm - 7 pm. Free event for all the family Contact: Maidstone Borough Council, 5-11 London Road, Maidstone, Kent. ME16 8HR. Tel: 01622 602169

Dashehra Diwali Mela, Manchester Sat 11 Oct

A contemporary celebration of the Hindu festivals of Dashehra and Diwali Timetable: 3.30 - 4.00pm, Community Groups. 4 - 7.30pm, Main Stage. 7.30pm, Lantern Procession. 8.00pm, Finale Show. Performances include: Fireflyz. Spectacular visual effects using fire staffs and fire poi. Platt Fields Park, 3.30pm 9pm, free. (Platt Fields Park is just off Wilmslow Road (A6010) in South Manchester. Car Parking (£3) is available at the Platt Lane Entrance to the park. On approaching the park follow the yellow AA signs). For more information on Dashehra Diwali Mela, contact: Mrs Raj Dutta, Indian Association Manchester Gandhi Hall, Brunswick Road, Withington, Manchester, M20 4QB MELA UK 2008 61

ADVERTISERS LIST

Appointments Commission

HMPS

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House of Lords

Barking & Dagenham Council

Manchester Metropolitain University

British Sugar

Metropolitan Housing Group

Cambridge University

National Trust

DEFRA

NHS Professionals

Devon County Council

Nursing and Midwifery Council

DVLA

Open University

Essex County Council

SGOSS

Essex Fire & Rescue Service

Thurrock Fostering & Adoption

GCHQ

Valuation Office

Hertfordshire Constabulary

West Midlands Police

MELA RESPONSE CARD Please cut out and tick boxes from organisations you would like more information about Please fill out the details q Appointments Commission q House of Lords

q Asthma UK q Barking & Dagenham Council q British Sugar q Cambridge University q DEFRA q Devon County Council q DVLA q Essex County Council q Essex Fire & Rescue Service q GCHQ q Hertfordshire Constabulary q HMPS

q Manchester Metropolitain University q Metropolitan Housing Group q National Trust q NHS Professionals q Nursing and Midwifery Council q Open University q SGOSS q Thurrock Fostering & Adoption q Valuation Office q West Midlands Police

ALTERNATIVELY

62 MELA UK 2008

below and post the slip in an envelope to: Mela Response Sugar Media Ltd. Studio 4 Hiltongrove, 14 Southgate Road London N1 3LY United Kingdom Name ...................................... Address ................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. Post code............................... E-mail ..................................... ..................................................

YouYou can also can alsododothis thisvia viaemail: email: info@sugarmedia.co.uk info@sugarmedia.co.uk

OrOr visit: www.careersresponse.com visit: www.careerresponse.com www.educationresponse.com www.educationresponse.com

DESERT STORM

Badial’s stunning ethnic fashion is what everyone should wear on a day out in the sun.

Photographs by Alexandre Pichon Make-up by Ambreen • Hair by Jawaad Shot on location in Merzouga, Maroc / kasbahpanorama.com

Linen shalwar kameez with brocade border (£80) by Badial Blue beaded necklace (from £14) by Rang Accessories Hinged wooden cuff (£12) crocheted bangle (£8) by Simply Silver

Printed linen shalwar kameez with georgette sleeves and chiffon dupatta (£120) by Badial Beaded necklaces with pendent (from £14) by Rang Accessories

FASHION

All outfits by Badial 196 Soho Road Birmingham 0121 554 7981 www.badials.com The Asiana team were assisted by Kasbah Panorama Merzouga, Maroc kasbahpanorama.com

Linen shalwar kameez with detailed threadwork (£115) by Badial Beaded earrings (£8) by Majique, Red beaded necklaces (from £14) by Rang Accessories

Weaved linen shalwar kameez with brocade border & beadwork embroidery (£105) by Badial Gold hoop earrings (£20) by Majique, Red beaded necklace (from £14) by Rang. Hinged wooden cuff (£12) crocheted bangle (£8) by Simply Silver

Linen churidar with floral embroidery & heavy threadwork on dupatta (£100) by Badial Black beaded necklace (from £14) by Rang Hinged wooden cuff (£12) by Simply Silver

MELA UK 2008 65

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