Sampad South Asian arts will be holding its summer arts mela at Arena Theatre Wolverhampton on Saturday 14 July, in association with Arena Theatre and Wolverhampton-based arts organisation, Surdhwani.
The day of family fun, includes storytelling, arts & crafts, poetry and live dance and music performances, with many free activities.
Visitors to the Mela can take part in mehndi (henna) and rangoli (decorative folk art) workshops, suitable for all ages, or visit the food stall which will be selling delicious South Asian delicacies.
The Arena Theatre’s Tilstone Studio will host an all-day programme of free events including sets by:
Nix Dadry: A Midlands-based musician whose performances have taken him all over the world, from New York to Istanbul. His acoustic set is influenced by American Blues, Country and Soul. Nix released his debut album in January 2012 and he will include tracks from this at the Mela.
Guy Hutchins: A writer and storyteller whose work has been broadcast in over fifty countries and heard by several million people. Many of Guy’s stories have been collected from small villages around the world and range from short jokes and fables to three-hour epics. Come and catch some of them at the Mela.
Amerah Saleh: A young up-and-coming poet who writes about life, community issues & changes in society.
Azaad Arts Dhol and Music Group: A Wolverhampton-based organisation that combines education and performance in order to keep traditional Punjabi folk music alive & kicking!
The Arena’s main theatre will host a showcase of South Asian dance 3pm – 5pm (tickets £5) giving audiences a rare chance to see some local up-and coming dance artists and groups performing in a variety of South Asian dance styles including: Bollywood, Bhangra, garbar dhandiya raas, urban, classical and contemporary.
The showcase will include performances of Gujaati Ras-garaba folk dances by the Shree Krishana group, who are based at the Shree Krishna Temple, West Bromwich.
The fun continues in the main theatre at 7pm with a special family evening featuring performances of Bollywood music and dance (tickets: £6, £5 concs) with a selection of timeless, romantic Bollywood classics, including a tribute to Dev Anand, followed by live songs and a performance from an Indian dance artist.
Piali Ray, director of sampad said: “We are delighted to be working with Arena Theatre Wolverhampton and Surdhwani to bring the Sampad Arts Mela to Wolverhampton this year. Visitors can enjoy all kinds of lively South Asian arts activities, either by rolling up their sleeves and getting involved, or simply as audience members. There really is something for everyone – from any community, any faith and any age – so come along and enjoy a fun day out with your family and friends!’
The Sampad Arts Mela in association with Arena Theatre Wolverhampton and Surdhwani starts at 1pm and entry is free.
Tickets for the dance showcase at 3pm are £5 and tickets for the Bollywood music & dance performances at 7pm are £6 (£5 concessions). Tickets are available from the Arena Theatre Tel: 01902 321 321 or www.arena.wlv.ac.uk
ABOUT SAMPAD
Since 1990, sampad has been a leading cultural organisation helping to establish South Asian arts within mainstream culture in Birmingham and across the U.K. Through production, promotion, performances, advocacy, education and outreach activity, using the diverse artforms originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, sampad nurtures and supports British Asian arts and communities.
www.sampad.org.uk
ABOUT SURDHWANI
Surdhwani is a registered charity based in Wolverhampton which is dedicated to promoting Indian classical music and dance through concerts, performances, lecture demonstrations and workshops.
ABOUT ARENA THEATRE, WOLVERHAMPTON
The Arena Theatre is one of the West Midlands’ longest established and most successful small-scale touring venues. It offers one of the most diverse theatre programmes in the West Midlands, presenting the very best small-scale professional theatre, dance and performance companies.
