South Asian arts organisation Subrang Arts has been awarded £23,661 by Arts Council England to deliver creative activities that will teach Croydon school children and local community groups about the rich cultural heritage of India.
Waxing beautiful: the Arts Council grant will pay for workshops in schools and the community
The project, called Kalasetu, will be part of Croydon’s London Borough of Culture celebrations; the funding has come through our National Lottery Project Grants programme.
Subrang Arts will work with internationally renowned arts organisation Kinetika to deliver the project, which will have a focus on Batik silk painting – the art of decorating cloth using hot wax and dye.
Workshops will begin in April, with pupils from Norbury Manor Girls’ School researching Indian traditions – including dance, design and to create 25 silk flags and 25 silk scarves.
The silk flags and scarves will be used by Subrang Arts at some of the Borough of Culture events, such as the Croydon Mela in Wandle Park in July and the Croydon Carnival.
Community groups will also take part in workshops and will create a costume for an installation of a model Indian Queen, named “Mother India”, to feature at the Mela.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, the Arts Council is pleased to support Subrang Arts’ Indian project which will form part of the Borough of Culture celebrations,” said Tonya Nelson, the London area director of Arts Council England.
“It will ensure that local people across a range of ages and backgrounds can come together, get creative and celebrate the different people, backgrounds and heritages that are integral to Croydon’s vibrancy.”
Lata Desai, of Subrang Arts, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Arts Council is supporting this project which will engage communities together. The project will reflect the borough’s unique diversity, diverse communities, rich heritage and cultural expressions.”
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