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

It's been a month since Bhavik stepped into the Sampad office and took the reins as the Interim Executive Director. Over a cuppa we had a chat about his first few weeks, his highlights so far and his vision for Sampad's future. Read more: sampad.org.uk/news/welcome...

This week we’re in schools with ‘My Journey, My Birmingham,’ our Theatre in Education performance. Children meet imagined characters inspired by the Dyche Collection. Thank you to our brilliant actors Janaya and Vimal, who really bring these stories to life!

📣 Full line up announced! With just one week to go until CBSO Best of Bollywood at the Symphony Hall, today we’re announcing the singers and dancers bringing you your favourite Bollywood hits. 🔗 sampad.org.uk/news/performers-at-cbso/

📣 Last call for Disability Awareness and Inclusion Training for South Asian dancers Applications to join and access the free training and the bursaries close at 5pm today, Monday 19th May The free session on 25/7 will be led by the experienced Rashmi Becker sampad.org.uk/event/dlg-tr...

📣 We're delighted to be welcoming the brilliant Bhavik Parmar as Interim Executive Director at Sampad! "I’m excited to collaborate with Sampad’s talented team to shape a bold & inclusive future for South Asian arts locally and internationally" Join us in giving Bhavik a wonderful Sampad welcome!

📣 Callout for artists! Join Sampad and DLG's Disability Awareness and Inclusion Training this July. Spaces are free, but applications to join and access training bursaries close NEXT Monday 19th May at 5pm. 🔗 Learn more and apply at sampad.org.uk/event/dlg-training-june25/

After 8 years at the helm, the brilliant Sabra Khan is moving on from Sampad to pastures new. We sat down last week to chat about her work, her memories with Sampad, and what is next with the National Trust. Read the interview at: sampad.org.uk/news/sampad-highlights-with-sabra-khan/

Experience Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty live in concert on Fri 25th July, accompanied by a curtain raiser from Sur-Nandan Ensemble. Read more and hear from our Artistic Director at sampad.org.uk/news/panjit-...

We're running an amazing development opportunity with a training session led by a specialist tutor. Disability Awareness and Inclusion Training For South Asian dance styles, takes place in Birmingham, 25 June 2025. 📍 Apply by 19 May sampad.org.uk/event/dlg-tr...

Thank you for the Showcase @theironroom.bsky.social My City, My Home can be purchased via the MAC Shop midlands-arts-centre.myshopify.com/products/my-...

Ticket offer for Best of Bollywood - CBSO Concert The best-loved Bollywood songs, performed by renowned vocalists and CBSO, plus some really exciting choreography! £5 tickets on offer for full-time students & under-18s. £10 tkts available for 18-30s 🎻🎤💃 Fri 30 May, 7.30 cbso.co.uk/events/best-...

Let's Dance kicked off again today at Grounded Wellbeing Hub in #HallGreen in partnership with the Living Well Consortium - great way to get going in the morning & Kali is such a great teacher! sampad.org.uk/news/join-ou...

Worlds of dance & music, heroic to playful, leading artists to gifted students. Check out our newsletter highlights tinyurl.com/Highlights-576 @pagravdanceco.bsky.social @sadlerswells.bsky.social @zeroclassikal.bsky.social @sampadarts.bsky.social @nitinsawhney.bsky.social

📣 Calling all theatre makers, writers, spoken word artists. We have a climate emergency project that needs your creative brilliance to inspire understanding and action. The closing date for this paid, 3 week contract is Sunday 27 April. Please read more & share 🌱🌏💦 sampad.org.uk/news/call-ou...

Last week our Artistic Director Piali Ray had a brilliant time at the Dance Leaders Group Spring Summit. Piali facilitated a session looking at the super diversity of dance across the Midlands, marking the beginning of collaborative dance projects in the region across next year ✨

⭐️ New event Urja Desai Thakore connects distant past & recent history to individual choices, creative & personal, celebrating how seemingly minor narratives inspire our future selves. 🔷 @pagravdanceco.bsky.social & Sampad presents: ROOH: Within Her 20 June, MAC B'ham sampad.org.uk/event/pagrav...

At this Saturday's Midday Mantra we are celebrating the Punjabi festival of Vaisakhi, featuring Kaviraj Singh who will be performing alongside tabla. The set also features Kathak dance from Seetal Kaur 🕐 Sat 12 April | 1pm | £5 #symphonyHall All welcome, book here sampad.org.uk/event/midday...

📢 Artist Call-Out We're seeking an experienced artist with specialism in theatre, spoken-word, or creative writing Neel Akash (Blue Sky) will explore the impact of the climate emergency on communities in Bangladesh & Bangladeshi diaspora in B'ham More details & apply sampad.org.uk/news/call-ou...