Asian Arts Agency is delighted to present New Soundz Festival, a celebration of contemporary South Asian music, in collaboration with Arnolfini in Bristol. The event is set to unfold from 10 to 12 November 2023, promising an unforgettable auditory experience. 

Arnolfini, a long-standing supporter of South Asian arts and a leading arts venue in Bristol, will host this dynamic music festival. New Soundz aims to showcase the vivacity of contemporary South Asian music through live performances and immersive spaces. 

The festival starts on Friday, November 10, with a captivating performance by beatboxer and sound artist, Jason Singh, in collaboration with tabla player Aref Durvesh, multi-instrumentalist Tamar Osborn, and keys player,  Al MacSween. This performance promises to explore a broad spectrum of soundscapes, drawing inspiration from Indian classical ragas, jazz, ambient, avant-garde hip hop, dub, and the natural world. Jason Singh’s ability to craft immersive soundscapes, drawing from nature’s diverse sounds, has earned him the moniker “the human sampler” by BBC Radio 6 Music. 

 On November 11, New Soundz will present a new work titled ‘Mone Rekho’ (meaning ‘remember’ in Bengali) by Soumik Datta Arts. Performed by sarod player and composer Soumik Datta, this immersive concert layers ragas, voices, spatial audio, and memories to pay homage to the past, present, and future of Indian music. 

The festival will also feature the remarkable British sitar virtuoso, Roopa Panesar, who will unveil the latest ragas from her 2022 album, “Subha”. The album is a celebration of Morning Ragas, portraying contemplative melodies that gradually build from the gentle hues of dawn to the light of day. 

Jaswinder Singh, Director of Asian Arts Agency, expressed excitement about producing the inaugural edition of this contemporary and new music festival. The festival aims to introduce Bristol to contemporary South Asian artists and incorporate immersive sessions and workshops to truly engage audiences with the festival atmosphere. 

 Alongside the artist performances, attendees can look forward to captivating discussions with the performers and workshops. During these sessions, artists will provide insights into their journeys and shed light on the creative processes that shaped their recent masterpieces. 

 To get tickets for New Soundz, click on the link below. Tickets can be purchased for individual events as well as a festival pass that allows for access to all events.  

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/asian-arts-agency-presents-new-soundz-at-arnolfini-2645459 

For further enquiries, please contact Asian Arts Agency at hello@asianartsagency.co.uk 

Asian Arts Agency Statement In Memory of Mr. Shivranjan Singh MBE.

We are very saddened to hear of the death of Asian Arts Agency’s Board member and ex-Chairman Mr. Shivranjan Singh MBE who sadly passed away on Friday 30th September 2022. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Singh’s family and friends.

Mr Singh was an iconic figure in Bristol and a huge supporter of the arts and culture. He made an enormous contribution to equality and the arts in the City across a period spanning over five decades.

The Asian Arts Agency Director and Board members have shared their thoughts on Mr. Shivranjan Singh’s contributions to our work and the wider cultural sector.

Jaswinder Singh, Director, Asian Arts Agency said

‘Shivranjan Singh MBE, or ‘Shiv’ as we would call him with love and respect, leaves behind a massive legacy for Bristol City through his enormous contributions to RACE, equalities, diversity but above all the arts and culture scene in Bristol since the 1970s.  As the Chair of Asian Arts Agency and under his leadership with the support of all our Trustees, the Agency grew into a nationally and internationally significant organisation emerging from and based in Bristol. Personally, I learned a lot from him.  It would be fair to say he was one of the most influential figures in my career.  Shiv was a highly intelligent and visionary person who supported the Agency and its team in delivering some outstanding work in Bristol for the City’s local communities. His passing is a big loss to the City. However, he leaves behind a massive legacy for the thriving South Asian arts and music scene in Bristol and the UK.’

Tim Corum, Chair, Asian Arts Agency said

‘I first met Shiv when I came to Bristol in 2006 to work in the Museums and Galleries Department. I remember we talked about the history of the South Asian community in the city and how this should be represented in the museum. Shiv was gentle but insistent and effective, a great advocate both for Bristol and his community. 

When I became a board member at the Asian Arts Agency a few years later I got to know Shiv better as a colleague and friend. Shiv was passionate about supporting artists and sharing the music and dance that he loved with the wider community. He made an enormous contribution by developing the Asian Arts Agency which is now a thriving international arts organisation rooted in Bristol.’ 

Sandeep Marwah, Trustee and longest standing Board member of Asian Arts Agency said

‘Shivranjan Singh MBE, or Shiv to everyone who knew him, was instrumental in bringing Classic Indian Music and Dance to a wider audience in Bristol during the late 70’s and 80’s. 

He brought such artists as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Alla Rakha and Ravi Shankar as well as the world’s foremost exponents of Kathakali, Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance to the Southwest.

He was a warm-hearted man with a ready smile and good sense of humour who made many friends throughout Bristol & beyond.

He will be missed.’

Lyn Porter, Trustee of Asian Arts Agency said

‘It was very sad to hear that Shiv has passed away. He had been a Trustee for many years for Asian Arts Agency and was instrumental in steering its course towards becoming the successful organisation it is today, we will miss his guiding hand.

For decades Shiv had been very active in the Bristol charitable and not for profit sectors. A strong voice that championed the voice of the BAME communities in Bristol, working with the statutory agencies  to raise issues that impacted on their lives.   A wise and knowledgeable man he will be missed.’

Abdul Ismail, Trustee of Asian Arts Agency said

‘Very sad to hear of Shiv passing away. We knew him since 1980s. Helped a lot in set up our shop after being expelled from Uganda. Always helpful and a very pleasant man. He made me a member of Asian Arts Association board and I learned a lot from him. Will miss him a lot too. ‘

For further enquiries, please contact Asian Arts Agency at info@asianartsagency.co.uk

We presented acclaimed sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan on a UK tour in June 2022.

Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan was accompanied by Pandit Sanju Sahai on tabla.

The tour began in Birmingham (Midlands Arts Centre), proceeding on to London (Kings Place), Southampton (Turner Sims) and Bristol (St George’s Bristol).

Despite visa issues almost cancelling the tour, we are pleased the tour went ahead and was a success.

Selected Audience Comments

 “Sharing a magical evening with this wonderful sitar player, whose work I have only been able to listen to on CD – for many years – up until now. Thank you for bringing him to St. George’s, and please persuade him to come again.”

“Transported to another world. Magnificent. Thank you.”

“Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan’s sitar recital, with Sanju Sahai’s virtuoso accompaniment on tabla, was a very special event, and this was a rare opportunity to hear an artist of such calibre perform in the UK. It was a privilege to be there.”

“A truly sublime concert.”

“It was a fantastic experience and an honour to hear such incredible musicians play.”

Watch concert snippets on our social media here.

We presented a highly successful concert with tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain at St George’s Bristol on November 23^rd 2021.

One of the world’s most esteemed musicians, Zakir Hussain, performed in Bristol with a world class ensemble: Marcus Gilmore (drums), Abbos Kosimov (Doyra and Uzbek percussion) and Sabir Khan (Sarangi).

This concert was a once in a life time opportunity for Bristol and nearby audiences to  witness the iconic Zakir Hussain perform and see the musical interactions spark amidst the unique group of musicians.

Bringing live music back on stage after the series of lockdowns and uncertain times we have all endured has been an uplifting experience for our audiences.

The concert had a spectacular turn out.

Selected audience comments below:

Fantastic event! Thank you Asian Arts Agency for bringing these world class musicians to Bristol!

Words fail to describe the magical journey- and the graciousness of the artistes to end with a surprise vocal rendition

This gig was nothing short of marvellous and Hussain is one of the most exceptional talents of our time. It’s no surprise that along with his equally talented musician cohorts on the night, that a truly memorable and exhilarating experience was felt by an audience who gave more than one standing ovation and clapped with heartfelt appreciation…

Beyond description. Such a privilege to be there. Well done Asian arts agency.

Check out our selected photographs from this wonderful event here.

View the event page here.

Breaking Barriers is a pioneering project conceived and developed by Asian Arts Agency to create opportunities for South Asian musicians/individuals to try out new approaches to performance.

Context

We know that musicians and other creatives have had a difficult time during Covid restrictions and the Agency wants to support musicians to revitalise their music-making and find new outlets for their music.  The programme will have different strands to support musicians at varying stages of their careers.

The Innovate strand of this pilot project will create exceptional opportunities for experienced musicians to develop new career opportunities via new music commissions, training and development opportunities.

Innovate Music commissions

In our first series of ‘Innovate’ we are offering two new music commissions to support a group of individual South Asian musicians or bands to work with a world class industry-leading recording studio. This exceptional opportunity with a value of up to £15,000 per commission (for groups) includes:

two residency placements/commissioning opportunities for established musicians at Real World Studios in Wiltshire

free access to studio time, accommodation, recording equipment & technical support for musicians to create and record new and innovative music ready to release or tour in future

dissemination of new digital work created via the Agency website/social media and partners

The possibility of future live performances promoted by the Agency in partnership with some of our leading venues

Who Are the Innovate Project Commissions For?

Innovate is designed for established artists with a proven track record in touring, releasing music and regular performance at leading venues and festivals. The central focus of this programme will be on creating new work via commissions with support for new ways and opportunities for dissemination of work.

Innovate is the first strand of the project, we will be offering more commissions for mid-career and emerging artists very soon. If you do not fulfil the criteria for this commissioning programme, keep an eye on our website for other opportunities.

The project is open to South Asian musicians of all types, traditional and contemporary, including individual and groups.

Commissioning/Residency dates

Commission 1:              5^th– 9^th September 2021

Commission 2:              25^th– 29^th October 2021

Please note, these dates are already reserved at Real World Studios and are fixed.

Applicants must be permanently based in England.

For more information please download the full brief.

Download full brief

Download application form

The closing date for the application submission is 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday 24th August by email to: music [at] asianartsagency.co.uk

We released our first digital concert in our new “Breaking Barriers” music commission.

On 20^th of August 2021, our digital Carnatic concert  was performed by Bristol based veena player Durga Ramakrishnan who was accompanied by RN Prakash (mridangam) and Prathap Ramachandra (ghatam).

The veena is an ancient Indian string instrument dating back to the first millennium BC. The veena would traditionally be played at temples to accompany the chanting of hymns. The mridangam is a South Indian classical drum used particularly in South Indian music and dance. The ghatam originates from South India and this unique clay pot is played using the fingers and breath.

The concert was available online for 5 days.

View the event page here.

We are delighted to receive a grant from the National Lottery Project Grants programme through Arts Council England for our new project Breaking Barriers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been hugely challenging for the arts and culture sector. Within our work, the South Asian artists and freelancers  that we work with have suffered the negative impacts of Covid disproportionately with serious impacts on their livelihoods and careers. Our new project Breaking Barriers is specifically created to address some of the challenges being faced.

It will create new music commissions and digital performance opportunities for artists and provide training and development support.

We will be announcing further information soon.

Phil Gibby, South West Area Director, Arts Council, said:  

“We are delighted to confirm support for Asian Arts Agency through our National Lottery Project Grants programme, towards Breaking Barriers. A project that will support freelancers and individuals, especially those who have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 crisis. It is fantastic to see an organisation put artists and musicians at the front and centre of their work, as we start to ease out of the pandemic and look towards the new normal. They have secured some brilliant local and national partnerships, and it will be great to see the talent emerge and build new career prospects over the coming year”.

Jaswinder Singh, Director of Asian Arts Agency, said:

“We are really delighted to receive this grant and thank you to the Arts Council England for their support. The pandemic has been really challenging for us and the sector with loss of income and opportunities for artists. Through this project, we are looking forward to creating new opportunities for artists and freelancers through new music commissions, digital performances and training and development opportunities. Over the next few months, we will be closely monitoring the situation, to create balance between online and live performances for our artists and audiences.”

Breaking Barriers will be delivered in partnership with leading arts venues and specialist music industry organisations, including Arnolfini, BPI, Bristol Beacon and Real World Studios in Bath.