By Helen Fay
New Wortley Community Centre hosted a vibrant community arts event on Saturday (19 July).
The event, organised by South Asian Arts UK, featured a packed programme of arts and crafts, solo and group dancing, singing and music – as well as mouth-watering food provided by the Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Tong Road.
The event was a family friendly celebration of South Asian arts and there were a variety of creative stalls including face painting, henna tattoos, a fun photo booth and a clay workshop session.
South Asian Arts UK (SAA UK) is a Leeds-based registered charity whose mission is to enrich people’s lives through the engagement and participation in traditional and contemporary South Asian music and dance.
Sherin Alex, Marketing & Creative Communities Manager of SAA UK told WLD about the event at New Wortley: “This is part of our pop-up culture project that we have taken across seven of the wards that took part in the Leeds 2023 events, including Armley.
“As part of our commitment to community engagement this year we’re strategically going across different communities and wards, taking forward the legacy of Leeds 2023.”
SAA UK have already held pop-up events in Morley, Chapeltown and Chapel Allerton among others, and the Armley event was the last of these.
However, Sherin said “There will be a final showcase at Leeds Playhouse on Saturday, 16 August where we will be bringing together talents from all these different wards to perform.
“The intent behind this project is to bring diverse communities together and give them a safe space in which to perform in a relaxed, informal environment.”
Saturday’s event was organised in conjunction with LCC Localities Officer Kimberley Frangos, who was also Armley ward Host during the Leeds 2023 Year of Culture.
Kimberley said: “SAA UK approached all the 2023 Hosts because they had been granted funding to run some events across local communities.
“Seven wards responded, including Armley, and we were lucky enough to hold this event in New Wortley Community Centre.
“SAA UK are planning to do this again next year across Leeds, in as many wards as they can. It’s a pleasure working with SAA UK, they have some brilliant people, it’s wonderful learning about cultures new to me, it brings music, vibrance, colour and happiness to the community – it’s all just fantastic.”
Performances on the day included a dance solo by Sahana, singing from Bratati Chaudhury, music from Eshwar Sureshkumar and dance by the Sabhrang Dance Group.
Armley councillor Andy Parnham opened proceedings with a short speech endorsing his support of the project. The event also marked South Asian Heritage month, which runs from 18 July to 17 August.
South Asian Arts UK is a 28 year old organisation, based in Leeds.
SAA UK teach music and dance and also arrange concerts performed by world renowned artists from across South Asia in the UK. The most recent was a sold-out show held at Howard Assembly Room in Leeds with Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, a stalwart of Hindustani classical singing.
Sherin Alex added: “While on the one hand we showcase renowned international artists, our community engagement ensures we give the common man a chance to perform and give their voice to this project.
“As an organisation we champion the cause of bringing people together – instead of focusing on differences, it’s better to focus on what we as humans have in common.
“Music and dance has no one language – it’s universal, whatever background or culture we come from. I think it’s a matter of finding those similarities and focusing on what brings us closer rather than what divides us. All in all, it’s a nice initiative, a good project and one I’m proud to be associated with and happy to lead on it. I feel very fortunate.”
Further details of SAA UK’s projects, a Music Summer School and the Leeds Playhouse showcase can be found here.
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