The sampad arts mela is coming to The Public in West Bromwich

The sampad arts mela is coming to The Public in West Bromwich for the first time, as part of the London 2012 Open Weekend on Sunday 24 July.

Sampad Arts Mela

Visitors can enjoy an afternoon of South Asian arts as the countdown starts to one year to go to the Games, showcasing the best of what the UK has to offer.

Two of the UK’s hottest new Asian music talents, Foji Gill and Samar Sidhu will perform the headline show at 6pm.

Birmingham-based Punjabi singer Foji Gill has had two number 1 singles on the BBC Official Asian Download Chart and has featured in the top 3 for longer than any other Bhangra artist.

Sixteen year old rising star Samar Sidhu, son of internationally famous Bhangra veteran and local businessman Amarjit Sidhu, will be performing tracks from his debut album, due to be released later this summer.

Throughout the day there will be free dance and music performances, poetry and animation films, a Dhol procession and lantern parade.

Watch local dancers showing off their best moves in the Bollywood and Bhangra Dance Competition in front of a panel of judges.

There will also be mendhi and interactive workshops for all ages in rangoli, painting and lantern-making, plus South Asian food available at the cafe.

Piali Ray, director of sampad said, ‘We are delighted to be working with The Public to bring the sampad arts mela to West Bromwich this year.

‘The arts mela is about bringing together the best local artists from a wide variety of artforms and styles to give people a taste of what’s on offer in the area. There will be everything from Bollywood and Bhangra to classical and folk, from traditional arts and crafts to digital animation.’

The sampad arts mela starts at 12 noon and entry is free. Tickets for Foji Gill and Samar Sidhu are £6 (£5 concessions), available from The Public Box Office on 0121 533 7161.

It is presented by Birmingham-based cultural organisation The Public.