South Asian Arts UK

SAA-uk (South Asian Arts – uk) was established in Leeds, England in June 1997.  Initial research demonstrated an overwhelming desire to see a service agency set up to provide advice and support to musicians & dancers as well as to stage conferences, workshops and performances.  The organisation's establishment was spearheaded by Dharambir Singh, the former Artistic Director of the Company, with the support of the Leeds College of Music and A4E funding from Yorkshire Arts (now Arts Council England).

In 2002, the Company's name was changed from the Leeds Centre for Indian Music and Dance to SAA-uk (South Asian Arts – uk), signalling the company's broadening national profile and its diverse programming which would encompass art forms from throughout the Asian subcontinent as well as hybrid art forms developed in Britain. 

In 2002, SAA-uk co-founded the SAMC (South Asian Music Consortium), which also included sampad (Birmingham) and Milapfest (Liverpool). The three organisations worked together to identify gaps in the South Asian Music sector and engaged in national projects that filled these gaps.

SAA-uk's Residencies & Retreats three-year project (2002 to 2005) offered access to high quality training opportunities in South Asian Classical music through the delivery of intensive residencies and residential retreats in school holidays and half-terms.  These training grounds featured international artists working alongside British-based trainees to deliver world class musical training and provide a progression route for developing musicians.

SAA-uk has made an immense impact on the cultural landscape of Britain - and of Yorkshire in particular. SAA-uk's mission is "to promote positive living and communal harmony through engagement with traditional & contemporary South Asian arts."  One of the key commitments of the organisation is to bring South Asian arts into the mainstream of British cultural life.  SAA-uk has been working very hard to achieve this since 1997. 

SAA-uk has delivered a varied and broad range of work since its inception, but it has organically evolved into two main areas: 

* Music & Dance Training and Development
This has included activities such as summer schools & residencies in school holidays, international retreats, one-to-one tuition & master classes, ongoing community classes, outreach projects through community partnerships, schools workshops & residencies, artist training sessions, etc.

* Professional Performances & Promotion of British Artists
This has included the delivery of taster performances to build new audiences, large-scale professional performances and festivals, and promotion of British artists through the provision of a bookings service. 

A new area of work for the organisation is also currently taking seed:

* South Asian Arts Development
Increasingly, SAA-uk is contacted with requests for advice & guidance in delivering South Asian arts projects and attracting South Asian audiences.  This is mainly achieved through delivering participatory outreach projects in partnership with other organisations, including long-term residencies in schools and training projects with community organisations. 

While the company is well-known for its educational work, SAA-uk also delivers numerous professional concerts of South Asian music in partnership with other venues and promoters.  They have just launched their autumn/winter programme, which runs from September 2005 to February 2006, and there are plenty of exciting events in it for Indian music lovers.

One of the upcoming highlights is the Sau Rung (100 Colours) Concert  on Friday 21st  October 2005.  The event is part of the Leeds College of Music's World Music Series and features two highly talented instrumentalists giving solo performances.  Surjeet Singh will be performing classical raags on the sarangi - a highly expressive bowed instrument that closely resembles the human voice.  Harjinderpal Singh, a senior disciple of Pt Shivkumar Sharma, will be presenting Classical compositions played on the santoor – a 100 stringed instrument that originated in the valleys of Kashmir.  Both musicians will be accompanied by Leeds-own highly talented tabla player Bhupinder Singh Chaggar.

On Saturday 22nd October 2005 Whitby's Musicport World Music Festival will play host to visiting Indian artist Kaushiki Chakrabarty, recent winner of the BBC 3 World Music Award for the Asia Pacific 2005.  Kaushiki has been acclaimed as the future of khayal and thumri in the new millenium.  Accompanied by Somen Poddar on harmonium, Chandana Chakrabarty on tanpura and Shahbaz Hussain on tabla, Kaushiki will take audiences on an enthralling journey through the world of Hindustani Classical music. 

One of the more unusual events in SAA-uk’s programme is "On Liberation Street" – a concert taking place on Saturday 12th November 2005 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.  The show brings together the the 18-strong Grand Union Orchestra with over 150 young musicians from Leeds, including SAA-uk's youth musicians, to create a poignant show marking the 60th anniversary of WWII.  On Liberation Street blends the performers' stories and experiences with bhangra, classical and folk music of the Indian subcontinent and an eclectic mix of jazz, Latin and African rhythms. 

On Friday 9th December 2005 SAA-uk will be presenting an eclectic evening of roots & fusion music and dynamic poetry presented by some of Yorkshire's most talented emerging & established artists.  Delivered in partnership with the BBC Roots Project & entitled Into the Light - The World in Yorkshire, the evening will be an opportunity for audiences to discover the world on their doorsteps through inspiring performances that journey through South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean without ever leaving home. 

SAA-uk has now developed a name for itself as a professional organisation that specialises in creating participatory music training opportunities for young people, supporting artists to pursue successful careers in South Asian arts, developing cutting edge performance work and enabling other organisations to include South Asian arts and artists in their work through advice, guidance and advocacy. 

Based in Leeds' cultural quarter, SAA-uk believes that South Asian culture is an integral part of British life and deserves acknowledgment.  SAA-uk is committed to making culturally diverse arts more readily available through working collaboratively with diverse communities and by nurturing partnerships with mainstream venues, artists, musicians, promoters, funders and organisations. 

For more information on these or any other SAA-uk events, go to www.saa-uk.org.uk or give SAA-uk a call on 0113 244 5523.