Influential names of South Asian heritage from the world of TV, media and the arts, will be gathering for three roundtable discussions which will delve into the experiences that inspired their work. Speakers include pioneering theatre director and activist Jatinder Verma, internationally acclaimed choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh, and prominent media figure Anita Bhalla.

 

Hosted by SADAA, (South Asian Diaspora Arts Archive) and taking place for three consecutive weeks from Thursday 24 March, the free events will see well-known writers, artists, and performers engage in conversation discussing their careers and linking the prejudice, politics, and protests of the 1960s and 70s to the proliferation of work that emerged in the 1980s and 90s.

Each event will focus on a different discipline and bring together leaders in these fields.

SADAA: ReUnited Round Table Discussion

6pm Thursday 24 March: TV and Media. To celebrate SADAA’s digitising of C4’s Eastern Eye series, this discussion brings together game-changers including Farrukh Dhondy, Sara Wajid, Anita Bhalla, Samir Shah, Suman Bhuchar, and Keith Khan.

6pm Thursday 31 March:  Writing and Performance. Untold stories from their new communities fuelled the growth of writing and performance. This event brings together legends including Jatinder Verma, Shobana Jeyasingh, Rukhsana Ahmad, Sudha Bhuchar, Romesh Gunasekara and Piali Ray.

6pm Thursday 7 April: Visual Arts. Artists had to do it for themselves, creating collectives and curating exhibitions. This final discussion brings together change-makers, including Bhajan Hunjan, Juginder Lamba, Shaheen Merali, Alnoor Mitha, Symrath Patti and Alice Correia.

The events will take place in the theatre at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum at 6pm and will also be live streamed. SADAA, is a national archive that conserves, digitises, shares and celebrates the work of first generation British South Asian artists and is based at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.