BBC News, South
Art AsiaOne of the organisers of a two-day event celebrating traditional and modern South Asian culture says it is “not just about a particular community”.
This weekend’s Southampton Mela Festival will showcase work from communities across the Hampshire city, including Chinese dragons and African drummers, says Dahlia Jamil, chief executive of Art Asia.
“Life is quite challenging for everyone but particularly people of certain faiths and ethnicities – and by that I mean white people as well as non-white people,” she tells the BBC.
About 20,000 festival-goers are expected to attend the music and arts event at Hoglands Park.
Art Asia works across Southampton and the wider region running classes in South Asian music and dance, putting on other performances and demonstrations as well as the Mela Festival.
Ms Jamil has been organising the now two-day event for more than 20 years.
Making it free is “so important” and “brings all communities together”, she says.
“You may have a certain heritage but this is where you are going to be living, working, engaging,” she says, adding that “if you do not mix or if everybody does not talk to, or speak to everyone… the world will become more isolated”.
“For me, working in the arts, it is so important that I use it as a tool not only to engage but to enhance and build up tolerance of people.”
Art Asia’s Dr Pooja Angra says the “multicultural element is one thing that I enjoy the most at Southampton Mela”.
Dr Angra, who trained in Indian classical music at the University of Delhi, will be performing at the event, playing a selection of Bollywood and Sufi music.
“What I really like about Southampton Mela is that although the focus is on South Asian music, it has created a special stage for musicians around the globe,” she says.
“We have always been working with diverse communities – African, Chinese – this year we are working with the Mexican community, flamenco artists, so it’s a wide array of musicians and art forms.”