After 8 years at the helm, the brilliant Sabra Khan is this week leaving Sampad, moving on to pastures new. We sat down to chat more about her work and memories with Sampad, and what is next.
If you had to pick one highlight from your time at Sampad, what would you choose?
This is really hard – there has been so much. But if I had to pick one and only one it would have to be the City Empire to City of Diversity: A Visual Journey project which was focussed on the Dyche Collection held in Birmingham Archives. I led this project from beginning to end over 3 years with a fantastic team (thanks goes to Ian, Rita, Rachel, Tom, Corinna, Nicola, Sophie, Anna on top of everyone in our core team!).
I love working in partnership and this project had 3 key partners – Library of Birmingham, Birmingham Archives and the University of Birmingham, all working to pull off this large scale project during the Commonwealth Games. We had exhibitions, community engagement and schools projects – and had to navigate Covid-19! The legacy that it leaves for Birmingham is a more accessible Dyche Archive, now catalogued and can be searched much more easily, and we’ve done a lot of work on preserving some of the photographs and items in that collection. I know there’s still much to do with that archive but the work has started – and the stories it tells about migration to Birmingham from Commonwealth countries are important – and go back to our mission that we amplify unheard stories.
What have you learned whilst being at Sampad? What are you proudest of?
I’ve had the opportunity to grow as a leader and to build my leadership and management skills – Piali, our CEO Artistic Director has been very supportive, giving me the room to develop and fly! I wanted to consolidate my organisational management skills – from finance to people to strategic planning and that is what I did. I’ve had a real grounding in the operational management of an organisation over the 8 years and in particular navigating Covid was not easy but a challenge that we rose to and it really built the ‘keep calm and carry on’ resilience that we need in the sector!
I’m definitely proud of the Create and Change project, a project that I started with a small pot of funding from Birmingham City Council and Near Neighbours. This is a ‘creative health’ project – running arts and wellbeing workshops year round in partnership with the amazing Dolphin Women’s Centre. Seven years later, it’s still going, thanks to the critical support of the Baring Foundation, and we’ve got funding secured for another year. It’s a really impactful and supports both the participants but also training up a cohort of artists to work in community and health settings. It’s a really good example of collaborative working.
Another part of the programme that I am delighted to have been part of launching and growing is Sampad Associate Schools, which built on the foundations laid by the City of Birmingham City of Diversity schools engagement programme. I felt it was really important that, considering the demographic makeup of this city and the large South Asian communities here, that there was an organisation that was able to meet the needs of school population, around diversity and South Asian heritage. The value of this work is immeasurable – our programme works with schools to create and develop bespoke projects, working with a range of art forms and artists that connect young people of all backgrounds with South Asian arts and heritage.
What’s your new role? What are you looking forward to?
My new role is general manager for Birmingham and the Black Country for the National Trust. The Trust has launched a new strategy for 2025 – 2035 People & Nature Thriving and it has a focus on conservation, accessibility, and engagement – and they want to build on their successful urban heritage work.
I’m really excited about being able to engage more diverse communities of Birmingham with the work that the National Trust does in terms of preserving heritage in this city, but also in terms of the work that they do around climate change and connecting people to nature.
Finally, do you think you’ll you be back for Sampad events in the future? Don’t be a stranger!
Well, of course! I am signed up to the Sampad newsletter and socials, I shall hope to get invited to Sampad team drinks (!). But seriously, old staff and our wider team of freelancers talk about Sampad being a family and I really feel that, it’s such a great organisation to be part of, the work is so varied and the team spirit is positive. Everybody is working towards the same goals and the people pull together. It’s a small team, but we are mighty.
A few highlights from Sabra’s time at Sampad:
