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For all the latest news from the Nottingham Asian Arts Council

Hi there,

Welcome to the Mela edition of our NAAC e-alert. We are very pleased that our NAAC Music & Dance Academy tutors and students will be performing/participating at the Mela.? We would also like to invite you on behalf of Kavya Rang and Nottingham Asian Arts Council for multi-lingual poetry at the Nottingham Mela. You can bring your new or old poetry in any language or come to listen and enjoy the poetry. All ages are Welcome.?

Get Ready for Nottingham Mela?2023

The Nottingham Mela is the oldest national Mela in the UK. It is a festival of South Asian culture and that brings music, dance, visual arts, film, street entertainment, spicy cuisine, crafts, and stalls all in one place to entertain and engage all communities, children and families in a vibrant, colourful and memorable atmosphere.

Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. This years Nottingham Mela takes place from Friday 8-10 September at New Art Exchange and Wollaton Park. Come and enjoy live performances by leading artists, visual arts workshops, market stalls, the nostalgic scents of sizzling South Asian cuisine and much more.?

This will be the best FREE weekend entertainment of the year - that will be enjoyed by all - A great family event with something for everyone!!!

Nottingham Mela - Call to Action

?The Nottingham Mela has previously been managed by three existing and permanent consortium partners: NAE, NAAA, and NCC. These partners are now seeking to expand it to a wider group of people with the skills and commitment to help put the Mela back on the map of community celebrations in the city and on a more sustainable footing for the future. Ultimately, its aim is for Mela to secure sustainable long-term funding to support its growth and future ambitious developments. The appointment of an expanded consortium is the first step in that journey.? The attached document is a call out to any/all individuals who are eligible and interested in being a part of the Nottingham Mela Consortium, the deadline for this is fairly short, so any questions about the Consortium or about the process, please email [email protected] and [email protected] before the 31st August at 3 pm.

Nottingham Mela - Call to Action Document

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Mela Volunteer Registration

Mela Event @Wollatan Hall -? Volunteer Registration Form

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Mela Programme -?Friday 8-10 September

MELA 23 LAUNCH?CELEBRATION

(From NAE Website)

FRIDAY 8 SEPT 6-8PM FREE,?PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE

Join us for the official launch of Mela 23. Find out about the festival programme, enjoy delicious food and amazing music by Harkiran & Harminder Sahota. Ranging from Indian classical to Bollywood, to folk and some familiar popular songs with a modern twist from the iconic Sitar and Tabla duo. Featuring a solo performance by NAAC student Kamna.

KINAARA LIVE

FRIDAY 8 SEPT 7.30-9.30PM?AGES 18+?TICKETS ?10 EACH,?PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE

Enjoy songs of the Punjab, folk from the British Isles and original tracks infused with Indian classical music motifs and melodies, filtered through a jazzy indie folk mixer. A musical patchwork of cultures and influences.

MELA YOGA

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 9-10AM?AGES 18+ FREE,?PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE

Led by Anand Parekh of Hot Yoga Nottingham, this Hatha yoga session combines gentle stretches, controlled breathing, and mindful postures to harmonize the body and mind. Participants will embark on a holistic journey, delving into the rich traditions of Hatha yoga while embracing their inner serenity. Whether you?re a seasoned yogi or a beginner seeking rejuvenation, this session promises a blissful escape into a realm of relaxation and self-discovery.

Please bring a yoga mat and water

MELA ART CLUB

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 10AM-13PM?AGES 4+ FREE,?NO NEED TO BOOK JUST DROP IN

Saturday Art Club returns with a Mela Takeover!?Join visual artist Ismail Khokon in expressing your creativity through South Asian-inspired themes and?practices.

FAMILY BHANGRA

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 11AM-12PM FREE,?NO NEED TO BOOK JUST DROP IN

A family-friendly activity, suitable for all ages. Award-winning Bhangra dance performance artist, Vijay Mehay will take you through an energetic and fun family Bhangra session, suitable for everyone.

SOUNDS OF THE DHOL

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 12.10PM?OUTSIDE IN FRONT OF THE NAE?STREET GALLERY

A family-friendly performance, suitable for all ages. Join Harjinder Matharu and the Dhol Students of NAAC, as they welcome Nottingham into NAE with the unique and traditional sounds of the Dhol.

MELA DRUMS

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 1-2pm FREE,?PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE

A family-friendly activity, suitable for all ages. Led by classically trained master and guru, Harjinder Matharu, you will have the opportunity to try your hand at traditional Indian drumming.

A JOURNEY WITH COMICS

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 2-4PM?AGES 13-17YRS FREE,?PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE

Working with artist Sayra Begum, this workshop provides the opportunity to recreate a journey you have made, or a journey you dream about taking. This journey can be as personal or as fantastical as you choose. You will have four frames to capture this journey, freezing them in time and recreating it for others to experience.

BOLLYTUNES UK LIVE

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 3-5PM FREE,?PLEASE BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE

BollyTunesUK is a?Nottingham-based?popular music band, comprising various artists including Keyboard, Dholak, Tabla (Indian percussion instruments) and other instrument players, and singers with multiple skill sets in Bollywood and classical/semi-classical singing. Some of the band members have even played in front of the Royal family and with some amazing Bollywood/Punjabi artists from India before.

The beauty of the group is that all the artists are?Nottingham-based?and it keeps growing. The idea is also to encourage and promote the local talent as much as possible. We believe in entertaining people by putting our hearts in and making the events enjoyable for all ages as per the audience?s taste.

MEHNDI AND FACE PAINTING

SATURDAY 9 SEPT 11AM-4PM?AGES 3+ FREE

Free Mehndi and Face painting provided by Shaz Mehndi and JayFace.

SPECIAL MELA MENU IN THE NAE CAFEBAR

There will be a special plant-based menu for Mela in the NAE?CafeBar?throughout Mela.

TICKETS ON SALE FROM 10 AUGUST?BOOK HERE

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SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER @?WOLLATON HALL & DEER PARK

NOTTINGHAM MELA IN THE PARK?

Read more and book your tickets on the?Wollaton Hall website.

NAAC Music & Dance Academy

Please note that our?NAAC Music & Dance Academy?Autumn term classes will restart on Wednesday 6 September 2023 from 5:30pm-8:00pm back at Radford Academy, Denman Street West, Radford, Nottingham NG7 3FL.

We have started Bharatnatyam classes and are looking to start Folk dance classes (Giddha & Garba) as well as Fitness classes and would like all of you to please try and publicise the classes as much as possible.

Do let us know if you want the NAAC to provide any specific workshops and or events or if you are interested in teaching Bollywood dance; within reason and resources allowing, we will try to oblige. Hope to see all our current and new students back at the classes.

For full details, use this link to download the poster...

Registration Form...

September - December 2023 Term Dates...

For directions to the Academy use this link...

Revisiting the South Asian Collections: A Co-Curation Opportunity for the Local Community

Nottingham City Museums are opening up elements of the World Cultures Collections to local communities over the next three years, starting with the South Asian Collections, as part of a formal project with Arts Council England. If you?ve every wondered what is included in the almost 400 items we have from this region in store, now is your opportunity to be part of a series of workshops to find out for yourselves and to help us understand these remarkable treasures.?

You may select objects you would like to investigate further, just because they intrigue you and you want to experience them at first hand, perhaps they remind you of something more modern which you are familiar with today, or you have a family story around similar objects. Alternatively, you have seen similar things in-situ while travelling in Asia and elsewhere, you might be interested in objects made at a particular workshop or linked to a particular donor, or you are a chess champion and want to see some of our unusual chess pieces!

If this has tweaked your curiosity, then we would love to invite you to join us for one of our workshop groups. Participants will need to commit to three consecutive weeks of workshops, held at the newly reopened Nottingham Castle, between 10am and 12.30pm, starting on Tuesday 12th September with the remaining sessions on 19^th and 26^th. If you would like to join us but Tuesdays are problematic, the subsequent groups have been arranged for different weekdays to cater for a wider audience. These are as follows: Group 2: Wednesday 4^th, 11^th and 18^th October, Group 3: Monday 6^th, 13^th and 20^th November and Group 4: Thursday 11^th, 18^th and 25^th January 2024. Groups will consist of 5-6 people, in addition to museum staff and support volunteers, so do get in touch, or book up quickly if you are interested.

Some object choices of participants from the first group, will form part of a display at our off-site store for Heritage Open Days on 15^th September, under the theme of ?Creativity Unwrapped.? So, your participation will have an immediate outlet for the wider public. There will also be opportunities to help us with a separate contemporary collecting project from January, as we work to create two loan box resources for Access Artefacts and collect items to reflect the local Asian Communities in Nottingham, for the Social History Collection.

To find out more, or to book on one of the groups, please email Ann Inscker, Curator of Human History at [email protected] ?I look forward to hearing from you.

Ganeshotsav 2023

Yoga & Wellbeing at Wollaton Park &?Newstead Abbey

Wollaton Park:

Come and join us for Wellbeing at Wollaton each month in Wollaton Park!

Date :?First Sunday of each month...

Time:?10am ? 11.30am

FREE ENTRY?booking in advance required on a first come first served basis in line with venue capacity. In case of bad weather, the event may be inside on a first come first served basis only.?Find out more at: https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wellbeing-at-wollaton/

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Newstead Abbey:

We are also pleased to?confirm Yoga and Meditation sessions at Newstead Abbey on the dates below from 10.00am to 11.00am, followed by a 30 minute walk around the park.?

13^th August 10am ? 11am

24^th September 10am ? 11am

15^th October 10am ? 11am

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NAAC Membership

NAAC occasionally organise events at short notice, in particular where there is a guest artist or performer from abroad and we try our hardest to publicise these events as widely as possible, but to ensure that you do not miss out please regularly check your emails from us, if you are a member! If you are not a member please consider joining us...

Individual Membership

Membership Fee for 2 Years: ?10.00

Life Membership: ?100.00 Individuals ?150.00 Couples ?50.00 Over 60?s

Organisation Membership

Membership Fee for 2 Years: ?20.00

Corporate Membership: ?1000.00

Any feedback on the e-alerts and suggestions on what you, our readers would like to see in future editions is always welcome?

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Nottingham Asian Arts Association (NAAC),

Communities Courtyard, Wollaton Road, Wollaton Park, Nottingham NG8 2AD

Email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Tel: 0115 876 5589 / 0115 876 5590

Nina Mob: 07944 051187 | Bhavesh Mob: 07792 247331