Summer Season 2012
May - August
Moving Earth Saturday 2 June
For further details about any of sampad’s events: visit www.sampad.org.uk or telephone 0121 446 3260
Copies of this programme are available in large print
sampad: promoting excellence and access in south asian arts since 1990
Welcome to our Summer season programme! It’s shaping up to be a particularly exciting summer and sampad has a wealth of fantastic events coming up to keep you entertained over the coming months. Before I touch on some of the highlights of our season, I’m delighted to report that we had an overwhelming response to our international writing competition Inspired by Tagore, with more than 1400 entries from 37 countries! We’ll be publishing the winning entries in a special commemorative book, which will be launched by the British Council in India in May to coincide with the celebrations for Tagore’s 150th birthday anniversary. The two overall prize winners will be revealed at the launch and we’ll be posting the names of all those with winning entries on our website towards the end of the month. As the final countdown to London 2012 begins, our Dancing for the Games project Moving Earth culminates with all 240 dancers coming together from across the region for a dazzling display of dance, in a lively and colourful free performance in Birmingham on 2 June (see page 6). A selection of Moving Earth groups will also take part in the celebrations to mark the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay in Birmingham on 30 June.
Finally, sampad is thrilled to be part of the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad which will see artists from all over the world coming together for the biggest celebration of art and culture the UK has ever seen. We’re working closely with leading arts & technology organisation, seeper, to deliver one of our most spectacular and ambitious events to date: Mandala (see page 7). With enthralling live performances of South Asian dance and music, accompanied by a world-class soundtrack and stunning visual effects, Mandala will be the free outdoor multimedia spectacle not to miss! For more information about Mandala, Moving Earth, Inspired by Tagore or any of our events or special projects, don’t forget to keep an eye on our website www. sampad.org.uk (where you can also join our mailing list online) or join our rapidly-increasing number of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.
Best wishes, Piali Ray OBE, Director
www.sampad.org.uk 03
Music
Clockwise: Tom Pope, Supriya Nagarajan and Sarvar Sabri
Saturdays, 1pm – 2.30pm
Mid-day Mantra A free monthly series presenting music from India to uplift the spirit on Saturday lunchtimes. 19 May Sarvar Sabri presents Synergy, featuring folk songs and rhythms from the northern regions of India, set in a contemporary British soundscape. Sarvar presents a quartet of the UK’s finest musicians whose musical artistry derives from regions of Multan and Punjab. 16 June Yorkshire-based musician Tom Pope adds a little Hindustani twist to the Italian mandolin as he weaves together the sounds of Europe and India. Tom presents an afternoon of rãgas that he has re-shaped through the intricate use of notes; skilfully manipulated and framed with rhythmic patterns of the Tabla. 14 July Manasamitra present Nada Notes. Acclaimed vocalist Supriya Nagarajan is joined by Vijay Venkat (violin and Indian bamboo flute), Martin Teshome (cello), Carlos Uzcategui (piano) and performance artist, Sameer Butt. For more details of the artists performing visit www.sampad.org.uk Venue
Symphony Hall Café Bar, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA Tickets
FREE In association with Town Hall Symphony Hall Supported by Arts Council England
Education and Learning sampad has an established programme of education, outreach and learning activities which it delivers within school and community settings, providing quality experiences with professional artists. If you work within an education or community setting, please visit www.sampad.org.uk/learning or email: education@ sampad.org.uk to find out more about how we can help you to deliver your objectives.
04 Information 0121 446 3260
Sanchita Pal
Shin DCS
Rashid Ali
Shahbaz Hussain
Music
Dance
Friday 18 May, 7.30pm
Friday 18 May, 6pm
CBSO Friday Night Classics: Burman in Bollywood
Desi Moves
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to R D Burman – one of the world’s great film composers – supported by well-known British Asian artists. Enjoy hits such as Dum Maro Dum and music from award-winning films including 1942: A Love Story. The programme also includes Yeh Dosti, Chura Liya Hai Tumne, O Haseena Zulfun Wali and many more. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Michael Seal – conductor Shin DCS – vocals Rashid Ali – vocals Sanchita Pal – vocals Shahbaz Hussain – tabla Venue
Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA Tickets
£10.00 – £39.50* Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 345 0603, www.cbso.co.uk * £2.50 fee per transaction will be charged by THSH Box Office on all bookings, except purchases made in person In association with East End Foods
Six of the hottest dance acts battle it out in front of celebrity judges Foji, top Bollywood choreographer, Honey and local street dance champion, Toffee. The show also includes an impromptu audience dance and a live performance by Britain’s Got Talent finalists, Signature. Suitable for all ages. Venue
Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ Tickets
£6 – £12* (discounts available) Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk * £2.50 fee per transaction will be charged by THSH Box Office on all bookings, except purchases made in person Presented by Punch, in partnership with International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB)
www.sampad.org.uk 05
Dance
Music
Saturday 19 May, 7.30pm
Sunday 20 May, 11.30am– 6pm
International Raw Energy
Smethwick Mela
Following its success in the very first IDFB back in 2008, we welcome the return of youth dance extravaganza, International Raw Energy. Two new youth companies made up of young dancers from across the West Midlands have developed new pieces to be performed in the grand surroundings of Birmingham’s Town Hall: a contemporary company working with Anh Ngoc Nguyen (previously a dancer/ choreographer with Wayne McGregor/ Random Dance) and a Bollywood company working with Delhi-based Sadhya Dance Company. The evening’s programme also includes exciting performances of existing work by some of the best dancers and youth dance companies in the region. Venue
Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ Tickets
£12 (£10 conc*) Group rates available Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk * £2.50 fee per transaction will be charged by THSH Box Office on all bookings, except purchases made in person Presented by International Dance Festival Birmingham 2012, in partnership with sampad and Birmingham Town Hall
Family fun with an Asian flavour including live singers, bhangra bands, dhol players, competitions, a fun fair and food stalls. Venue
Victoria Park, Smethwick, Birmingham Tickets
FREE
Photo courtesy of IDFB. International Raw Energy 2008 by Brian Slater.
06 Information 0121 446 3260
Dance Saturday 2 June, 2.45pm
Moving Earth Moving Earth is a lively dance project taking place across the West Midlands this summer. sampad has brought together 240 dancers (20 groups of 12) from across the region representing a dazzling array of styles including Bollywood, bhangra, Indian folk dance, hiphop and contemporary African and UK dance. With direction from internationallyrenowned dancer Santosh Kumar Nair, the groups have developed new dance routines inspired by the theme of ecology.
The performance forms part of Birmingham’s Big Jubilee Weekend, a 4 day extravaganza of music and entertainment taking place in the city centre 2–5 June to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Venue
Chamberlain Square, Birmingham City Centre Tickets
FREE
A selection of Moving Earth groups will also perform in Cannon Hill Park on 30th June, as part of a day of celebrations to mark the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay in Birmingham. Moving Earth is part of Dancing for the Games, which is part of the Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands, funded by Legacy Trust UK and Arts Council England.
Photo by Dee Patel
All 240 dancers will come together on 2 June for a colourful and visually–striking performance that captures the spirit and energy of the natural elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.
www.sampad.org.uk 07
Live Music and Dance Friday 7 September Chamberlain Square, Birmingham Performances at 8.30pm and 9.30pm
Sunday 9 September Old Market Square, Nottingham Performance at 8.30pm
Mandala Mandala is a bold new collaboration that will see Birmingham Town Hall and Nottingham Council House spectacularly illuminated in a mind-bending illusion of colour and light. Fusing live 3D projections with international and British Asian music and dance, appearances will not be all they seem‌ The buildings will be brought to life and transformed from their classical facades into breathtaking new forms using projections that jump out towards you and stunning visual effects triggered by live dance and music. Mandala will take you on a journey of discovery and leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. With live music performed by Talvin Singh and live contemporary and classical dance, including performances by Devika Rao and Aakash Odedra, featuring prerecorded tracks by world-class musicians Anoushka Shankar and Zakir Hussain, Mandala will be THE free outdoor multimedia spectacle not to miss! Tickets
FREE A production by Sampad in partnership with Seeper
Mandala is part of the London 2012 Festival, the spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration running from 21 June until 9 September 2012 bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK.
www.sampad.org.uk/special-projects www.wefund.com/project/mandala-0
08 Information 0121 446 3260
Dance Tuesday 22 May, 7.30pm
Kathakbox Kathakbox is the latest production from Sonia Sabri Company celebrating the diverse energy of modern Britain through a brand new dance style: Urban Kathak. The show brings together the grace and vigour of Indian Kathak dance and the rhythms & rhymes of hip hop culture. Classical rhythms converse with beatbox and the verbal dexterity of Kathak rap (Kavitt) layers with urban poetry.
“ I felt like jumping up onstage to join them... uplifting and highly enjoyable.” Londondance.com Venue
Solihull Arts Complex, Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3RG Tickets
£10 (£9 concessions), £7 children Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 704 6962 www.solihullartscomplex.co.uk Kathakbox
Raghu Dixit
Music Wednesday 13 June, 8pm
Raghu Dixit Raghu Dixit’s self-titled debut album spent months in the world music charts as he impressed British audiences with his powerful, soulful vocals and rousing blend of Indian and Western influences. Winner of the Songlines Newcomer Award 2011, he is busy working on a second album featuring songs in Kannada, Hindi, English and Tamil. He visits Town Hall to showcase the new album along with favourites from his debut. Venue
Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3 3DQ Tickets
£15* (Stalls Standing Area) £17* (Circle Reserved Seating) 20% discount for students Ticket Office/Online Booking
0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk * £2.50 fee per transaction will be charged by THSH Box Office on all bookings, except purchases made in person
www.sampad.org.uk 09
Music
Theatre and Dance
Friday 22 June, 7pm
Saturday 23 June, 4pm
Ustad Tari Khan
Wild Child
An evening of ghazal and tabla with the worldrenowned tabla maestro.
Storytelling, South Asian and Australian dance, live music, haunting puppetry and wild digital projections swirl together in Moby Duck’s unique and unmissable performance of Wild Child – a new story for young people aged eight and over and their families and friends.
Ustad Tari Khan has performed in virtually every part of the globe, captivating audiences by his extraordinary versatility. His work has led to collaborations with artists and producers from all spectrums of the musical world, including acclaimed producer Rick Rubin, and he has composed music for documentaries and films such as Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala.
“ A powerhouse of skills, technique, knowledge, and showmanship, he had the audience in his grip.” All Pakistan Music Conference Review Venue
Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park, WV6 0PE Tickets
£10 Ticket Office/Online Booking
www.ustadtarikhan.eventbrite.co.uk Presented by Azaad Arts
“ A vivid experience of the sounds, colours and stories of Indian culture” Time Out Venue
Arena Theatre Wolverhampton, Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton WV1 1SE Tickets
All tickets £5 Ticket Office/Online Booking
01902 321 321 www.arena.wlv.ac.uk
10 Information 0121 446 3260
Family Fun! Saturday 14 July, 1pm–7pm
Sampad Arts Mela Come and join us for a celebration of dance, music, poetry, storytelling, arts and crafts fun for all the family. There’s a lot to take part in all day from 1pm to 7pm: you can visit the food bazaar which will be selling South Asian delicacies, or try your hand at jewellery-making and henna workshops for all ages – and much more!
3pm to 5pm Dance Showcase in the main theatre A rare chance to see some local up-andcoming dance artists and groups in Bollywood, bhangra, urban, classical and contemporary South Asian dance styles. Tickets
£5
7pm Bollywood music and dance Come and enjoy a special family evening with a selection of timeless, romantic Bollywood classics, including a tribute to Dev Anand, followed by live songs and dance performances from local Indian dance companies and artists. Tickets
£6 (£5 concessions) Venue
Arena Theatre Wolverhampton, Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SE Ticket Office/Online Booking
www.arena.wlv.ac.uk 01902 321 321
Background photo: RKL photography
www.sampad.org.uk 11
Sampad is proud to be supported by the following organisations:
Moving Earth:
Mandala:
Diary of Events
Get in touch
MAY 18 Burman in Bollywood
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
18 Desi Moves
Town Hall, Birmingham 6pm
7.30pm £10–£39.50 P4 £6–£12 P4
19 Mid-day Mantra Symphony Hall Café Bar 1pm FREE P3 19 International Raw Energy
Town Hall, Birmingham 7.30pm £12 (£10) P5
20 Smethwick Mela Victoria Park, Birmingham
11.30am FREE –6pm
22 Kathakbox
7.30pm £10 (£9) P8
Solihull Arts Complex
P5
JUNE
sampad is a dynamic development agency for South Asian arts based in Birmingham. Education, outreach and lifelong learning is at the heart of all our work.
P6 We provide everything from single workshops to long term projects using dance, music, theatre, crafts or 13 Raghu Dixit Town Hall, Birmingham 8pm £15–£17 P8 literature, for all ages and abilities, working in schools, nurseries, youth 16 Mid-day Mantra Symphony Hall Café Bar 1pm FREE P3 centres, community organisations, 22 Ustad Tari Khan Wolverhampton 7pm £10 P9 health settings and more. To find out Racecourse more, please get in touch. 2 Moving Earth
Chamberlain Square Birmingham
2.45pm FREE
23 Wild Child
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
4pm £5 P9
By post c/o mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston B12 9QH
JULY 14 Mid-day Mantra Symphony Hall Café Bar 1pm FREE P3 14 Sampad Arts Mela
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
By telephone
1-7pm Various P10 0121 446 3260
By email info@sampad.org.uk
SEPTEMBER
Visit our website www.sampad.org.uk
7 Mandala
Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
8.30pm FREE & 9.30pm
P7
9 Mandala
Old Market Square, Nottingham
8.30pm
P7
FREE
All information in this brochure is correct at the time of printing. However, changes may occasionally be necessary and any up-to-date or additional information can be found on the sampad website. sampad apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
Follow us online
sampad is a registered charity no. 1088995
You can join sampad’s free mailing list by visiting www.sampad.org.uk