Is it the same for you? A year begins and it feels like forever before spring comes, summer passes so fast, and then you open your diary and gosh! It’s December again! With 2026 just around the corner, we’re proud to share a summary of Sampad’s work from the past year.
OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS
This year we have:
– Employed 57 artists
– Reached 6732 audiences, plus 86,000 visitors to Sari Stories
– Worked with over 80 different partners and funders.
– Delivered 81 regular sessions for Create & Change and Let’s Dance
– Reached 1187 community participants
– Reached 6054 children and young people
– Worked with 20 schools partners and 2 universities
ARTISTIC PROGRAMME
-BEDLAM exhibition
-Dancers at Birmingham Light Festival (Silent Disco)
-Asian Spring Dance Celebration
-Midday Mantra series, 5 concerts – Burns and Beyond, An Afternoon of Qawwali, Summer Serenade,
International Day of Peace, Diwali Special
-Twilight Mantra with the ASH Trio
-Best of Bollywood Concert with the CBSO
-Bollywood Love Songs with Priti Kaur at Zindiya
-Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and Ensemble, with Sur-Nandan Ensemble
-Midsummer Masti: 6 Weddings, 9 Songs and 50 Saris
-Chai and Chat with Poppy Jaman
-Sari Stories Exhibition
-Mini Mantra at B:Eats
-Ujala at the Mailbox with Rekesh Chauhan and Rohan Roy
-Ujala: An Evening of Indian Classical Dance at Midlands Arts Centre
-Neel Akash research & development phase, responding to the climate crisis in Bangladesh
PARTICIPATION & COMMUNITY WELLBEING
-Let’s Dance in Hall Green and Balsall Heath
-Create and Change in Ward End, along with our weekly sessions
-Yuva Gati open day
-Edgbaston Cricket Stadium Family Day
-Misfits Music with Mendi Singh in Moseley
-South Asian Heritage Month at Midlands Metropolitan Hospital
-Celebration day for Midlands Metropolitan Hospital 1 year anniversary
-Midsummer Masti Summer School
-Ujala celebrations for Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas at University of Birmingham
-Oral Histories and Walking Tour at Sparkhill Heritage Festival
-Family craft workshops for Diwali at Symphony Hall
LEARNING AND SAMPAD ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS
-Workshops in 11 different schools (dance, drama, Islamic art)
-Music and Career assemblies in 5 different schools
-Dance and Art workshops, and a Flashmob performance for National Trust Blossom Project
-From City of Empire to City of Diversity exhibition toured to 6 different schools
-Neel Akash Climate Project R&D sharings
-Moments of WOW flashmobs
-I Have a Dream book launches at 5 different schools
-My Journey My Birmingham Theatre performance to 5 different schools
-2 dance residencies, 1 art residency, 1 drama residency
-CPD days with teachers at 3 schools
-Ujala celebration of Diwali in 4 schools
TRAINING, TALKS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
-Sampad hosted and supported 3 interns from the University of Birmingham, and 1 intern from the University of Bristol
-Piali Ray gave talks to Loreto College in Kolkata, Girl Guiding in Birmingham and chaired a discussion at the University of Birmingham on ‘South Asian Women in Creative Leadership’
-Artist bursaries were awarded to Akash Parekar, Meera Joshi, Erinn Dhesi and Sandeep Kandola
-Partnership work with the Dance Leaders Group
-Programme Manager James worked with Moving Souls Dance on ‘Emerging Producers’
-Artist training with Step Change studios in Disability Awareness and Inclusion for South Asian dance
-Talks for teachers and educational staff at conferences for BEP (Birmingham Education Partnership) and the Solihull CEP
ORGANISATIONAL CHANGES
-New Executive Director – Bhavik Parmar
-New Board Members – Dr Mahnaz Hashmi and Dr Ananta Dave
-New Marketing and Communications Manager (interim) – Hayley Salter
-New Finance Officer (interim) – Thomas Kirby
Enjoy our highlights video on YouTube below. Wishing our audiences a wonderful festive break from the Sampad team. Here’s to 2026!