City News

Sampad is delighted to reveal the exciting new summer season brochure. This season we will feature a blend of dance, music, conversations and workshops.

The first highlight of the season, a dance double bill, will showcase Wednesday 13th May, 7.30pm at The Drum featuring Seeta Patel and Aakash Odedra. Seeta Patel winner of the Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award and Associate Artist at Akademi South Asian Dance along with Kamala Devam will be performing The Last One Standing, a sensitive interpretation of game playing explored through contemporary South Asian dance. The second part of this dance extravaganza features Birmingham favourite Aakash Odedra and Shivani Satya. He will present both traditional and contemporary Kathak in three new pieces specially developed for this double bill.

Our next event will be music and conversation from The Wold Of Manveer Singh, 7.30pm on Friday 5th June at the Old Joint Stock Pub Theatre. Manveer Singh will be discussing his career as a musician, the intensive musical study and his deteriorating eyesight. He will also perform live with the various ensembles of the musicians he has put together and led in recent years.

Thinking about entering your work into sampad’ International Writing Competition? mac in association with sampad presents a Creative Writing Workshop entitled Amplifying the Map at the Birmingham Nature Centre from 10.30am-1pm. Exploring the theme of journeys in familiar and unfamiliar territory, this workshop will take you through some creative writing exercises using the landscape in and around Cannon Hill Park as a starting point. The free workshop will be led by Kate Chapman, Charlotte Goodwin and Rochi Rampal.

On Saturday 20th June, 7.30pm sampad and Shin Parwana presents The Burman Legacy at the Crescent Theatre. The immortal melodies of the legendary SD and RD Burman will be brought to stage by Shin Parwana the renowned front man of the iconic bhangra band DCS. Shin, together with the Bollywood Punditz and a host of guests from the world of music and dance will embark on a journey of movement and sounds reminiscent of the golden age of Bollywood.

The May bank holiday weekend see’s Rush Hour Blues, Marva performing at the relaxing atmosphere of Symphony Halls Level 3 bar, 5.30pm. Marva brings together six young musicians from North Indian, Western Classical, Flamenco and Jazz traditions.

The Drum and sampad in association with the award winning Sonia Sabri Company present Parallels on Wednesday 15th July, 7.30pm. Sonia reveals two parallel aspects of Kathak, spanning from classical to contemporary and East to West. Sonia will be accompanied by a virtuoso live musical line up of sitar, vocals and the world renowned Ustad Sarvar Sabri on tabla.

At the end of the summer season sampad will continue to bring together two important events to mark in the upcoming new year as Piali Ray, Director at sampad adds “this summer we will entertain the audience with some of the best in the UK arts scene. We hope they will enjoy the fabulous music and dance events and go down memory lane with the unique songs immortalised in Bollywood history at the Burman Legacy show. I know for sure that many will sing along with the very popular tracks, I know I will!”