All About The South Asian Heritage Month

South Asian culture has had a big influence on Britain in many ways, including food, attire, music, vocabulary, and the general vibe of cities and towns in the UK. Many cities in the UK have vibrant neighbourhoods with rich South Asian influences. The diverse mix of communities in the region has had a huge influence on the UK in many different ways. Look at Britain&rsquos multi-hued culinary landscape, for instance. The UK celebrates National Curry Week every October. In 2001, Britain&rsquos foreign secretary, Robin Cook, referred to Chicken Tikka Masala as a &ldquotrue British national dish.&rdquo 

South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) was established in the UK House of Commons in July 2019 to commemorate, mark, and better comprehend the rich heritage that continues to link the UK with South Asia. The month-long festivities honour the contributions of people with origins in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives&mdashall countries in South Asia. SAHM is observed from July 18 to August 17 every year.  

The Theme For 2023

&lsquoStories to Tell&rsquo is the theme for 2023. The activities planned throughout the month will honour stories that together contribute to the community&rsquos diversity and dynamism. Events planned for South Asian Heritage Month in 2023 will touch on a variety of subjects, including gender, faith, and family, as well as identity and community. These themes aren&rsquot meant to be restricted or limited rather, they&rsquore meant to give South Asians a framework within which to tell their narrative and connect with others who might have gone through similar things.

What To Bookmark

Here are some events that you should not miss attending

Mughal Miniatures

Mughal Miniatures is an exciting outdoor performance event that honours and draws inspiration from the stunning traditional art of Indian and Persian miniature painting. It promises to be exciting and entertaining, with performers in costumes producing spirited and colourful mini-worlds of dance, music, and puppetry. A series of pop-up, living pictures recreate memories of Indian princely courts and lush gardens, as well as the splendour of the Mughal Empire, but with a contemporary touch. Indian miniature art in the ninth and tenth centuries was incredibly multicultural, drawing inspiration from a wide range of people and countries. Similarly, this project aims to engage different artists, forms, and cultures in discourse and demonstrate their complementary nature.

Map Stories

Join the Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia project and the Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery as they use maps and satellite imagery to investigate South Asian heritage. This is a drop-in event for both adults and children, with crafts and games as well as lively discussions on archaeology and heritage in Pakistan and India. In addition to discovering archaeology and heritage on historic maps, the event will investigate the stories that may be communicated through the maps. You, too, may tell your own stories about South Asia&rsquos landscape, maps, and traditions.

Film Screenings

Throughout the month, films from South Asian countries will be shown in a variety of cinemas. One to watch out for is The Breadwinner. Based on Deborah Ellis&rsquo best-selling novel, &lsquoThe Breadwinner&rsquo, this is an Oscar-nominated animated film about Parvana, an 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. Also, bookmark The Clay Bird from Bangladesh. The masterpiece of Bangladeshi writer and director Tareque Masud (who was tragically killed in an accident in 2011), The Clay Bird, won the FIPRESCI Prize in Directors&rsquo Fortnight at Cannes in 2002 and was the first Bangladeshi film to compete for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, despite being initially banned in its home country.

Brown Sauce

Brown Sauce is a South Asian (and other Asian) compilation show that features well-known names as well as the best up-and-coming talent. The show premiered in 2021 and received positive feedback. The event has also toured multiple cities, with critically praised headliners demonstrating that not only are all brown line-ups a thing, but they&rsquore also a lot of fun. 

Cover Photo Credits Photo Credits Ochnik / Shutterstock.com

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