📣 2026 programme announcement! Asian Spring is now on sale, plus a UK tour with the incredible Tribhangi Dance Theatre. Learn more and buy your tickets via sampad.org.uk/news/programme-news-2026/

As our outreach sessions wind down for the year, we'd love to share some stats and highlights. Throughout 2025 we have run regular projects in varied community settings, alongside one-off family fun days. Find out about Sampad projects on our website: sampad.org.uk/projects/

⭐ Featured artist announcement - Dalbir 'TablaJedi' Singh and friends will be performing at Midday Mantra: New Year New Sounds. 🗓️ Sat 24 Jan, 1pm 🟥 Jennifer Blackwell Space, Symphony Hall 🟦 multibuy offer. U16s go free! sampad.org.uk/event/midday-mantra-new-year25/ #TablaJedi #middaymantra

This autumn, our Ujala Season lit up Birmingham, celebrating the Festival of Light. Today we've been looking back at the at all the activity, from performances to workshops, creative collaborations, and community engagement. Read more at sampad.org.uk/news/key-achievements-from-ujala-season25/

🐘 Step into the magical world of Lori. An interactive performance for EYFS & Year 1 using storytelling & dance. We’re delighted to share the trailer for our new performance, touring nurseries and schools in early 2026. Contact [email protected]📖 www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRpA...

Let's Dance has been in full, gentle swing this autumn offering seated movements set to music in a relaxed and environment. James, Sampad Programme Mgr “it's been a joy to see the transformation in participants". Thank you to funder www.smallstepscharity.org More: sampad.org.uk/event/lets-d...

🎥 We are delighted to be partnering with our friends at BIFF for the screening of Mahangar. Satyajit Ray's film, with Madhabi Mukherjee, follows the story of Arati who decides to take a job to help support their family 🍿 Wed 12 Nov, 7pm at MAC 🎟 sampad.org.uk/event/mahana...

⏳ 24 hours until Ujala: An evening of Indian Classical dance. Wed 5 Nov, 7pm at Midlands Arts Centre 🔶 Read about the styles sampad.org.uk/.../odissi-y... ⭐️ Meet the performers sampad.org.uk/news/ujala-n... 🎟 Book your tickets sampad.org.uk/event/ujala-...

▶ This Wednesday, 5th November, is your chance to be charmed by an array of Indian classical dance styles at Midlands Arts Centre Compered by Shriya Sharma, we are delighted to present Ujala #Odissi #Sattriya #Kuchipudi #Yakshagana ++ 🗓 Wed 5 Nov, 7pm 🎟 From £11.95 🔗 sampad.org.uk/event/ujala-...

🖥️New blog! Do you want to know more about different Indian Classical Dance styles? Whilst it would be impossible to share the fullness of every tradition, this quick guide will get you started. Dive in at sampad.org.uk/news/odissi-yakshagana-and-more-a-guide-to-indian-classical-dance/

▶️ Party vibes! Here's The Ravi Soorya Kumar Band shaking the studio when they appeared on Indian TV Battle of Bands International 🎙 See Ravi and his band this Sat 25 Oct Midday Mantra: Diwali Special! 12 to 2.30pm 🔸 U16s Free (still need to book), £5, £10. 🪔 sampad.org.uk/event/midday...

🪔 Under 16s go free at our Diwali Midday Mantra! Join us from 12pm for family-friendly craft workshops, painting Diya Lamps to mark Diwali. Performances will then begin at 1pm, with music + dance for all ages. 🔗 sampad.org.uk/event/midday-mantra-diwali25/. 📷 Nicola Gotts

Come and celebrate Diwali with Sampad, share the joy with music and dance: Midday Mantra: Diwali Special, Sat 25 Oct, 🪔 diya lamp painting for families from 12pm, music & dance at 1pm, Jennifer Blackwell Space, Symphony Hall, £5- £10 (U16s Free) 🎟 🔗 Visit sampad.org.uk for more info and tickets.

🎇 Our week of Ujala has begun! Today we worked with the University of Birmingham India Institute . It was an honour to bring students & staff a beautiful celebration of Diwali & Bandi Chhor. Thank you to those who joined us, and Happy Diwali from everyone at Team Sampad 🪔 #UOBIndiaInstitute

📣 Artist announcement for our Diwali Midday Mantra! Join us for an unforgettable celebration: 🎸 Bollywood hits with Ravi Soorya Kumar 🪩 Bharatantyam group Kaishiki, dancer Shriya Sharma & India Island Academy 🎤 Singer Atreyee & Host Dharmesh Rajput sampad.org.uk/event/midday-mantra-diwali25/

Less than two weeks to go until our Midday Mantra: Music and Dance Diwali Special! 🪔 Family celebration starts at 1pm on Sat 25 Oct, and features classic Bollywood tunes from the ▶️ Ravi Soorya Kumar band plus craft workshops and lively dance performances 🪔 sampad.org.uk/event/midday...

We had a wonderful day contributing to the celebrations for the first year anniversary of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital this week 👏 Thanks to all the artists and to Sampad's Interim Executive Director, Bhavik Parmar for being an excellent MC and getting everyone involved

As the nights draw longer, Sampad are proud to announce a varied Diwali programme. Join us to mark the Festival of Lights with dance, music, family celebrations & schools offers... there's something for everyone 🎇 Read more at sampad.org.uk/news/announcing-sampads-ujala-season-for-diwali-2025/

Today we have a new blog from Bhavik, looking back at a brilliant partnership with the Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust. Read more at sampad.org.uk/news/looking-back-at-south-asian-heritage-month-with-sandwell-and-west-birmingham-nhs-trust/

News for teachers 💻 Sampad Associate Schools invite you to an online Q&A, Mon 22 Sept 4.30pm. We'll talk you through and answer Qs on our latest workshops, TiE, new projects, and much more. If you prefer to just listen, that's fine :) Read more & request link here: sampad.org.uk/event/sas-on...

🔸 Midday Mantra Artist Announcement 🔸 Gurdain Rayatt will be joining Satwinder Pal Singh at Midday Mantra A tabla musician who has performed with many notable legends of the Indian Classical music Sat 20 Sept, 1pm. Jennifer Blackwell Space, Symphony Hall £5 🎟 sampad.org.uk/event/midday...

Poppy Jaman is a well-known leader in field of mental health awareness & care. She engages with communities & workplaces to devise mental health help projects. Join us for Chai & Chat: My Marathon Sari with Poppy Jaman 📌 Thur 25 Sept, 6pm 🔸 Midlands Arts Centre, 🔹 Book: sampad.org.uk/events/

🍂 Our Create & Change autumn workshops at Dolphin Women's Centre begin next week, with artist, Gugan Gill. The craft sessions will introduce the group to the work of different SA women artists & offer space for the group to freely create To get involved here: sampad.org.uk/projects/cre... 🍂

🎵 2 Weeks Left to Apply Sampad's £1000 music bursary closes on Mon 22 Sept (9am) Are you a new or emerging musician specialising in string instruments? Apply for this amazing opportunity to perform a composition by Rekesh Chauhan with the CBSO More details here 👇 sampad.org.uk/news/sampad-...

We're looking back to Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakarabarty's visit to the city last month. A sublime evening of Hindustani music at B'ham Rep Thank you to everyone who attended. Special thanks to Sanchita Pal, Bhavna Chaudhary, Anvaya Ganguly, Ajoy & his musicians & many others Photos @gr_sohail

Artist Call-Out 🎶 Apply for Sampad's £1000 Music Bursary We're delighted to offer a bursary to a new or emerging musician specialising in string instruments with a timbre similar to instruments such as the sitar, sarangi or veena (examples only). Read more & apply: sampad.org.uk/news/sampad-...

News for Schools 📣 Sampad Associate Schools have just announced Ujala: A Celebration of Diwali The visiting artists will work with pupils to explore some of the less well known stories of Diwali & share some of the traditions that Hindu & Sikh families follow Oct 2025 sampad.org.uk/ujala_school...

Our Learning Team have had a wonderful and busy end to our academic year. Read Gill's blog (Sampad's Learning Manager) about the varied work we have been doing, as she shares her Summer Term highlights. Summer 2025 round-up from #sampadassociateschools sampad.org.uk/news/summer-...

Be part of the movie experience at the outdoor screening of Devdas this Sat 16 Aug Learn and have fun doing a few easy moves with a popular song from the film then join in when it's performed on screen! 💃🕺 Workshop 6.30pm. Outdoor Arena, Midlands Arts Centre macbirmingham.co.uk/cinema/devdas

🔥Looking back at Midsummer Masti! Thank you to: Dancers: India Island, Purbanat, Chitraleka, Bengali Association, Anjali Dance. Creative team: Jaya Khazaei, DJ Palak, Vimal Korpal, Dharmesh Rajput, Sharonjit Kaur Sutton, Midlands Arts Centre & of course Team Sampad! #SouthAsianHeritageMonth2025

It’s such an honour to be welcoming the revered Padma Bhushan Pt Ajoy Chakrabarty to Birmingham. ✨ Final rehearsals of the curtain raiser ensemble Sur-Nandan, led by @sanchitapalofficial are taking place ahead of this evening’s concert! 🎟️ Final tickets available via sampad.org.uk

Thank you Koyel Bhattacharya, Kuntal Das and Sagar Jilka for a 'mesmerising' Midday Mantra performance last Saturday ▶️ Watch the video to hear more audience comments. Events for your calendar 📌 25 Jul - Ajoy Chakarabarty (few tkts left) 📌 3 Aug - Midsummer Masti 📌 20 Sep - Midday Mantra #SAHM2025

Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty's long awaited UK tour comes to Birmingham Rep this Friday, 25 July. Hear the sublime artistry of masterful musician, guru and living legend 📷 from Ajoy's UK tour "Just outstanding, mind-blowing" audience member comment Tkt link: sampad.org.uk/event/ajoy-c...

📣 Today marks the start of #SouthAsianHeritage Month2025! We thought it was the perfect time to re-introduce Sampad, and launch our new look ✨ 🔸Across the next month for #SAHM2025, we’ll be sharing more of our story, our work and taking a trip down memory lane. Image: Birmingham Weekender Parade

This Saturday, Koyel Bhattacharya and Kuntal Das will be joined by keyboard player, Sagar Jilka for Midday Mantra: Summer Serenade Join us and B:Music for semi-classical and popular Hindi songs 🎶 The concert starts 1pm From £5, U16s Free sampad.org.uk/event/midday...

⌛️ How time flies in a school year. So much growth and change 😊 This academic year we've worked with 60 teachers providing CPD sessions “This was great. So much variety and felt very enabled going forward.” Teachers - look at our Sampad Associate Schools packages: sampad.org.uk/.../sampad-a...

Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is busy making his way around the UK on his long awaited tour and we're looking forward to welcoming Ajoy and his masterful ensemble to B'ham Rep on Friday 25 July Tickets for the concert can be booked at: sampad.org.uk/events ▶️ Tour clip from his London concert

Only 2 weeks to go until Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty performs his joyous music at Birmingham Rep 🌟 A legend of Indian music - his UK tour brings him to Birmingham on Fri 25 Jul, 6.30pm The concert opens with Sanchita Pal leading the Sur-Nandan ensemble Get your Ajoy tickets at sampad.org.uk/events

Click here to read about Anandita's visit to Bahadurpur, learning more about the impacts of climate change in rural Bangladeshi villages here...

A little over a week ago we collaborated with the Dance Leaders Group, hosting a session with Rashmi Becker from Step Change Studios on Disability Awareness and Inclusion for South Asian dance.

We regret to inform you that the Kalam session scheduled in Birmingham stands cancelled due to an unfortunate bereavement in Divya Prakash Dubey's family yesterday. Our heartfelt condolences to Divya and his loved ones during this difficult time.

Some shots from our visit to Yardley primary school on Tuesday, discussing climate change with year 5 and 6 children & engaging them through a dancer performance and origami workshop led by Anandita Khan 🥁

Fri 25th July at B'ham Rep, Pandit Ajoy Charabarty's concert brings together top classical musicians from across the globe Curtain raiser is from Sanchita Pal, leading light of N. Indian Classical vocal music plus students of Sur-Nandan ensemble 🎶 Fri 25 Jul, 6.30 🎟️ sampad.org.uk/event/ajoy-c...

“I feel my ancestors, my power and my Divine energy when I drape a sari.” Today we have another Sari Stories spotlight to celebrate pride month 🏳️‍⚧️ In her story, Mia Weston spoke about the connection between her gender expression and heritage. 🗓️ Sari Stories runs at MAC until 19th October.

⛅️ Bangladeshi dancer Anandita Khan has arrived in Birmingham for Neel Akash. Translating to ‘Blue Sky,’ Neel Akash is an R & D project which explores the impact of the climate emergency on Bangladeshi communities. Follow along on to see how the project develops! Funded by the British Council.

📣 Midday Mantra Artist Announcement Settle down for a Summer lunchtime concert of excellent Indian classical vocal music from Koyel Bhattacharya and Kuntal Das on tabla. ☀️Midday Mantra: Summer Serenade 🔹Saturday 19 July, 1pm. £5 sampad.org.uk/event/midday...

Enjoy young poet laureate Iona Mandal's beautiful speech, from the launch of I Have A Dream at the British Library, for the Jaipur Literature Festival. 🔗 Read the full speech at sampad.org.uk/news/i-have-a-dream-launched-at-the-british-library-for-jlf-2025/

▶️ Celebrated maestro, Padma Bhushan Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty has sent us a message from Kolkata, to share with Indian music lovers in Birmingham Concert venue Birmingham Rep | 25 Jul 6.30pm Enjoy the video! Book your tickets soon sampad.org.uk/event/ajoy-c... Presented in partnership with Sur-Nandan

🏳️‍🌈 To celebrate Pride month, we're taking a moment to share LGBTQ+ stories from our Sari Stories exhibition at Midlands Arts Centre. Seemaa Butt is a South Asian drag queen, who sees wearing a sari as "an act of defiance" in the face of racism and racial profiling within the LGBTQ+ community.

☀️ Make sure you visit Sari Stories this summer, open now at Midlands Arts Centre 🗓 A gallery of submitted home photographs, archival images and moving, personal reflections of the sari. Sari Stories is a free exhibition, open every day in MAC's Community Gallery 📸 Tegen Kimbley