An exciting new outdoor multi-arts festival of cutting-edge contemporary work by South Asian artists based in the UK has been specially curated for a London square to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, which runs until August 17.
The Hounslow Town Centre in west London will be transformed as it hosts ANHAD (Limitless), directed by Mira Kaushik OBE in partnership with Bell Square London. The day-long festival on August 13 promises to be a colourful and vibrant celebration of contemporary South Asian outdoor arts – including processions, performance, dance, music, family shows and much more. The organisers describe it as ground-breaking as a first of its kind endeavour to give a platform for UK South Asian creativity across all the arts.
Mira Kaushik said: “The festival promises the very best of UK-based South Asian outdoor arts performed and created by the best South Asian artists from across the country working alongside Hounslow’s artists and communities.
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“This is a pilot to celebrate of this immense creativity within South Asian communities across the UK – artists that bring their own style and take on traditional arts.”
The ambition is for ANHAD to become an annual event based in Hounslow and to be the premier UK event for shining a spotlight on contemporary South Asian creativity to the wider world.
Jan Lennox, Director, Watermans (Bell Square) said: “This will be a fantastic platform for South Asian creativity. The breadth and depth of contemporary South Asian outdoor arts is huge, so it will be wonderful to see such diverse acts performing in Hounslow and we hope this will become an annual celebration of an important part of UK culture.”
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There will be music from diverse artists including Anando Mukerjee – the UK’s leading operatic tenor of Indian origin; Nadia Javed – solo artist, activist and lead singer of The Tuts; and Zayn Mohammed, Jason Reyes, Filippo Galli, Ruhiya Rutherford (Zayn Mohammed Trio). Dance performances will come from some of the most celebrated dancers including Nina Rajarani MBE (Jham! by Srishti), the celebrated local artists Pratap Pawar MBE, Ashwini Kalsekar (Kathakology by Kirti Kala Mandir, UK), Shyam Dattani (Bedam commissioned by Akademi), Balbir Singh (Hopscotch & The Two Fridas by Balbir Singh Dance Company), Odissi Collective (Aroha), Bollywood Dance School, Anvi Prabhu (JOGI), movement artist Manuela Benini (with guest dancer Jesal Patel) and amazing children’s performances from Anusha Subramanyam (Choogh Choogh by Beeja).
The festival performances will take place in Bell Square, outside Holy Trinity Church, and there is also a performance piece that travels the High Street. The event is supported by Hounslow Council as part of the borough’s Summer of Culture and is also one of many that has been supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
*Info: ANHAD
