Annual ReviewApril 2004–March 2005

Art Asia Trust Ltd

Suite 3

Fairways House

Mount Pleasant Road

Southampton

SO14 0QB

SO14 0QBTel: 023 8022 6212

Fax: 023 8022 0491

Email: admin@artasia.org.uk

Website: www.artasia.org.uk

Registered Charity No 1070019

Limited Company registered in England No 2964315

Our activities include

• Concerts, dance and drama performances by local, national and international artists

• Education service offering workshops, demonstrations, tutoring and performances

• Music and dance classes, visual arts workshops

• Well-equipped, sound-proof music studio available for rehearsal or recording

• Free information and advice service

Mission Statement

To promote and develop high quality performance of South Asian arts, music and dance, enhanced by educational activities to provide a rich and satisfying experience for all.

2005 has been an exciting year for Art Asia. Our long-term aspiration to relocate to a more central location and provide improved and accessible facilities is close to being realised. Arts Council England

has awarded Southampton lottery grants of £5.75 million towards a new multi purpose arts complex overlooking the Guildhall Square. Due to open in 2008, Southampton’s New Arts Complex will be the home of Art Asia, Southampton University’s John Hansard Gallery, City Eye and a brand new Performing Arts Organisation. The different art forms offered by the organisations will stimulate, inspire and create a rich and fulfilling experience for all in the city.

Our education work has continued to increase. In 2004/2005 we worked with 31 schools and 3,842 young people in the Southern region. The range of music, dance and art workshops enabled these young people not only to explore different Asian art forms but also to work with national and international artists.

As part of our commitment to promote and develop high quality performance of South Asian arts, music and dance, we have continued to explore and bring exciting performances to our audience. Both the dance choreography and the music performed by the Angika Dance Company and the Shobhana Jeyasingh Dance Company at the Point in Eastleigh were unique and vibrant. The diverse audiences attending our classical concerts demonstrated that we are reaching out to both new attenders and connoisseurs of world music. Other concerts reflected the fusion that artists are bringing to traditional Asian music.

The wonderful experience of listening to the Grand Union Band performing their Dhaka to Delhi concert with the full participation of the audience singing Bangladeshi folk songs was exhilarating. At the same time dramas like the Deranged Marriage and Strictly Dandia have proved to be very popular, performing to full houses every time.

Perhaps Art Asia’s most visible work is the annual Mela Festival, which is fast becoming a key calendar event for the city. In 2004 more than 10,000 people attended the fun packed day listening to music, trying various dances such as Kathak, Bharata Natyam and Bollywood or just browsing amongst the various stalls.

Key to the success of all our work has been partnerships with organisations large and small. We have worked with schools, colleges, community organisations and arts organisations to maximise our resources and to create a better understanding of South Asian arts.

This fantastic and varied work would not have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of all the staff of Art Asia and the students, volunteers, tutors and Directors who play a key part in the organisation.

Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our many partners and sponsors - particularly our two main funders, Arts Council England and Southampton City Council – for their support in helping Art Asia grow into a vibrant and lively Arts organisation.

DahliaJamil Chair, Art Asia

Introduction by the Chair

Music & Dance Events • SouthamptonMelaFestival The Southampton Mela Festival was an action

packed day with plenty of entertainment including Kathak, Folk, Bharata Natyam and Bollywood dancing, and Asian Fusion, Indian Classical, Bhangra, Bengali and Qawaali music. There were also many stalls held by the community with activities including face painting, henna, arts and crafts, ethnic clothing and accessories.

• ShivaNova, at the Turner Sims Concert Hall, a show combining live contemporary and classical Asian dance from the Creative Dance Company, with Shiva Nova’s unique mix of classical with jazz.

• RagaNova, at the Turner Sims Concert Hall, a concert with Raga performed on the sitar and saxophone based on Indian classical music and adding jazz and salsa styles.

• AngikaDanceCompany,at The Point Bhakti performed by an exciting company committed to developing the powerful and rich vocabulary of classical Bharata Natyam dance with a contemporary approach.

• GrandUnionBand, at the Turner Sims Concert Hall, an array of music from classical and folk through to jazz, African and other world music.

• BoatParty, at Ocean Scene, an entertaining night out full of hot tunes with the very best in Bhangra and R’n’B DJs. A successful partnership with Southampton University and Institute Asian Cultural Societies, with an emphasis on attracting young people to Art Asia events.

• ShobhanaJeyaSinghDanceCo,at The Point, unique choreography with a new electric score by Michael Nyman and designs by cutting edge multimedia company Digit.

Other Events• MayorsCharityDinner, held at Kutis

Brasserie, raised £960 for the Mayor’s Charities: S.C.R.A.T.C.H. and Southampton Voluntary Services.

• Women’sInternationalEvent,held at Mount Pleasant Junior School, with workshops and performances in Bollywood, Bhangra and Belly Dance, in partnership with the Workers Education Association.

Drama and Comedy• TheDerangedMarriage,at the Nuffield

Theatre, performed by the Reduced Indian Film Company, an entertaining and unseen look at the British Asian arranged Marriage system.

• StrictlyDandia,at the Nuffield Theatre, performed by Tamasha Theatre Company, a show set around the Hindu festival of Navratri with ‘hot moves and Gujarati grooves’.

review of activitiesOver the past year we have promoted 11 high quality concerts and events attracting a total audience of 4,777. We supplied artists for 6 outreach projects and 3 artists for community events. The second Southampton Mela Festival was a huge success with over 10,000 people attending.

Education

• 31 school workshops this year, included introductory sessions to music, dance and henna as part of school’s curriculum in arts.

• In 2004/2005 we worked with 3,842 participants ag ed 5–18 across the Southern region.

• One of the highlights of the year had to be the workshops provided by the Grand Union Orchestra that pupils from Thornden School and Romsey School experienced prior to the Grand Union Orchestra concert at Turner Sims Concert Hall. It was a fabulous opportunity for students to learn from professional artists of the highest calibre.

• Romsey School had a series of excellent workshops, showing GCSE music pupils how to play Asian instruments, and how techniques could be incorporated into their fusion projects.

OutreachMusicians and dancers were supplied to outreach workshops, community and other events across the South, including fantastic performances by our class groups at the Mela.

Art Asia Activities Centre:• Bharata Natyam Dance half term workshops

were held in June 2004

• Tabla, Music Tuition, Kathak and Bharata Natyam dance classes

• 46 studio and rehearsal space bookings

• Class attendees enjoyed participating in 5 performances at events including the Southampton Mela Festival 2004, and Art Asia Annual General Meeting.

• Art Asia provided 2 holiday workshops in dance.

• Art Asia provided a series of Music Technology workshops.

review of activitiesEducational work has continued to expand this year, with long-standing artists maintaining high quality work with children. A wide sector of the community has been introduced to and experienced Asian rhythms and movements. New artists have also commenced work with Art Asia, including those in the Bollywood and Bhangra sections. Teachers have also received expert tuition from our artists on INSET days and as part of the Solent Music Project.

PartnershipsTurnerSimsConcertHall – regular music concerts

NuffieldTheatre – varied programme of drama events

ThePoint – varied programme of dance events

WorkersEducationAssociation – Women’s International Event at Mount Pleasant Junior School

SouthamptonUniversityandInstituteAsianCulturalSocieties – joint promotion of the Boat Party

Other achievementsGeetaUppal, Vice Chair of Art Asia was invited to Number 10 Downing Street to meet Tony Blair, in recognition of Geeta’s vast community and voluntary work through Art Asia and Southampton Institute’s widening participation programme.

A £31,500 grant has been secured from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for a 2-year trainee Marketing post. This is a joint appointment with Arts Marketing Hampshire (2 days/week training at AMH, 3 days/week practical work at Art Asia) and will run from June 2005.

Art Asia's big lottery win!Art Asia has secured a £0.75 million lottery grant to enable us to move into purpose-designed new premises in Southampton city centre. A total of £5.75 million in lottery grants from Arts Council England (together with major contributions from other sources including Southampton City Council and Southampton University) will enable Art Asia, City Eye, the John Hansard Gallery and a new performing arts organisation to develop this fantastic new arts complex.

Southampton’s New Arts Complex will place arts and artists at Southampton’s heart, enhancing the Cultural Quarter within the city’s growing role as a cultural centre, delivering high quality and accessible programmes in excellent 21st Century facilities. Southampton’s New Arts Complex will fire the imaginations of diverse communities, enriching and reflecting their lives.

AccountsTotalExpenditurein2004/5£171,670 TotalIncomein2004/5£173,512

Operating Activities 84%

Management &Administration 5%

Marketing & Publicity 5% Fundraising & Advertising 5%

Earned Income 15%

Grants & Donations 80%

Arts Capital Programme 6%

Staff:

ChiefExecutive Vinod Desai

OperationsManager Helen Keall

ArtsAdministrator Emma Price (from February 2005)

JenniferWelch (from August 2004 to January 2005, maternity cover)

JeannineBarron (to August 2004)

Education Development Officer StephanieHollamby (from January 2005)

EleanorKingdom (to August 2004)

MarketingOfficer Arti Sonchhatla (to May 2004)

MarketingAssistant Bhavjit Dhanda (from June 2004)

Education – Tutors & Artists

Vidya Thirunarayan (Bharata Natyam dance)

Iqbal Pathan (tabla)

Mayuri Boonham (Bharata Natyam dance)

Sanju Sahai (tabla)

Hanif Khan (tabla)

Geeta Pendaer (Bollywood dance)

Archana Masters (henna)

Surjit Singh (tabla)

Rahi Bains (music)

Francis Silkstone (sitar)

Ranbir Kaur (visual arts)

Pravika Nandkishore (South Asian dance)

Sarra Whicheloe (Bharata Natyam dance)

Lavanya Ramakrishnan (Bharata Natyam dance)

R N Prakash (percussion)

Nina Rajarani (Bharata Natyam dance)

Mela 2004 Thanks to:

Arts Council England

Southampton City Council

Southampton Institute

Southampton Voluntary Services

Hampshire Constabulary

Hampshire County Council

Learning and Skills Council

B&Q

Buchannan Events

City College

Roots (BBC)

Fret Music

Sure Start

Fortis Insurance

Solvay Healthcare

Hello 2

Social Cohesion

Thanks to Bob Anthony and Ann Wardle for giving their time and expertise.

Thanks to all our volunteers for their time and support

Dahlia Jamil MA, MSc ChairExtensive experience in Community and Adult Education, currently works for the Workers Educational Association (WEA) in Southampton. Former consultant to UNICEF on gender issues in Bangladesh.

Geeta Uppal BA (Hons), MPhil (Cantab) Vice ChairWidening Participation Officer at Southampton Institute. Her role is to encourage under represented groups into higher education. This is carried out by working closely with schools, further education colleges and community groups.

Arvind Pandit FCA, MBA TreasurerChartered Accountant with over 20 years experience in business, most recently as Finance & Operations Director for a publisher and distributor. Now runs his own Accountancy and business advisory practice. A past Honorary Treasurer of Harrow Round Table.

Jaya Gunatillaka Chartered engineer for an international company. Formed the Hampshire Sri Lankan Cultural Society in 1997 and chaired it for two years. Enthusiasm for the promotion of culture.

Arzoo Iqbal MA Political ScienceSpecial Needs Assistant for schools, ESOL and basic skills tutor at Southampton City College. Executive member of Alnissa (Muslim women’s group), member of Urdu Women’s Group.

Peter KnightOver twenty years experience of working in Information Technology and Logistics. Member of the Council of the Institute of Patentees and Inventors. Broad spectrum of experience in the voluntary sector, both on the committee of the Southampton Federation of Resident’s Association and in the scouting movement. Co-editor of Community Connecting Magazine.

Dr Brihad AbyankarMedical adviser for a pharmaceutical company. MBA qualified, experienced in strategic management issues. Keen interest in Indian classical and film music as well as promoting artistic events.

Meena VashishtWorks for Finance Directorate in Southampton City Council. A qualified Health and Safety Technician and member of IOSH (institute of safety and health).

Michelle NandA graduate in Sociology with a long history of association with Art Asia. Works in PR/Marketing.

Maria Wilson(Associate Director)

Other Directors that held office during the year were:

Parita Patel

Board of Directors as of September 2004:

A large print version of this Review is available from Art Asia

Art Asia is supported by: