‘Earth Mothers’ Sonia Sabri and Keira Martin take over Kala Sangam with a week of online activities and creative tasks

Every summer, Kala Sangam welcomes artists to take over its Arts Centre in the heart of Bradford, filling every available space with artistic activity. Keen to continue handing over the reins to independent artists, but with the building shut due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Kala Sangam will instead be giving over their social media channels to Dance and Music artists Keira Martin and Sonia Sabri between 29th June – 3rd July 2020, for five days packed with activities, provocations, and creative tasks.

Offering people an insight into their creative process, Keira and Sonia will invite communities to contribute ideas to their brand-new production Earth Mothers, set to tour in 2021. Earth Mothers is a new Indian, Irish and Contemporary dance, and music production which will see two other worldly women visit planet earth. Distraught by the political, environmental, and social disasters the people are facing, they will share their wisdom, traditions, and cultural perspectives to inspire a fairer society for all. The week will feature live conversations, performances, inspirational thinking and a unique glimpse into the rehearsal process.

The project is produced by Spin Arts, who recently relocated to Bradford, and has been funded through Bradford Council’s RESPONSE grants – launched specifically to react to the impact of the lockdown on the arts and cultural sector.

Artists Keira Martin and Sonia Sabri said “We have been researching Irish Step dance and Kathak in a contemporary context, and we’ve been looking at the histories of the Indian subcontinent and Irish lands, and we’ve found it so fascinating that there’s such a commonality between the histories, the people’s stories and politics. We’re looking forward to sharing our findings with the community of Bradford, and we’re interested to hear local views and perspectives on culture, music, dance and storytelling.”

Alex Croft, Creative Director of Kala Sangam said “We’re delighted to be working with Sonia, Keira and Spin Arts on the start of this journey. With the building shut, we’ve had to look for new ways to connect with communities in Bradford, and I’m really excited about the opportunity this offers people in the district, and beyond, to not only view art, but to help in its creation.”

Sarah Shead, Director & Creative Producer of Spin Arts said “We’re excited to have relocated to Bradford and can’t wait to share our processes and productions with local communities. Sonia and Keira are perfect representatives of the kind of artists Spin Arts produces and tours internationally. We’re sure that with Bradford’s help, we can create a show that speaks of the richness of cultures and traditions that exist throughout the district and beyond.“

Keira and Sonia’s takeover begins with a live Facebook chat at 11am on Monday 29th June. To tune in visit www.facebook.com/Kala.Sangam

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