Wandsworth Council celebrates South Asian Heritage Month from 18 July to 17 August 2023 with a programme of community-focused, cultural, arts and heritage-based activities and events.

What’s On

Beeja Dance Company: Choogh Choogh

Sun 6 August

Choogh Choogh by Beeja Dance Company is an interactive performance specially designed for 2–7-year-olds and their grown-ups, inspired by the joy of travelling through India on a train. It combines classical Indian dance with contemporary movement, theatre and play.

As a joyful, authentic affirmation of Indian culture, it will give early-years children a glimpse of India and a chance to share in one of the major cultures of the UK.

Beeja will be bringing choogh choogh to children’s centres in Nine Elms and Tooting during South Asian Heritage Month and both performances will be followed by a 15min play with the performers and their props.

Pagrav Dance: Belonging

Tue 15 & Wed 16 August

Pagrav Dance Company is offering two days of kathak dance and rangoli workshops, performances, and more to celebrate, explore, and reclaim the stories behind our South Asian names.

Join them at Tooting Works (on 15 August) and Home Community Cafe (on 16 August) for a chance to express yourself, feel connected to your heritage and community, and reconnect with your body. All welcome.

• Wednesday 23rd August: Quieter visiting hours: 9.30am-12pm; Public viewing: 12-3pm
• Thursday 24th August: Public viewing: 12-3pm
• Otherwise by appointment, drop us an email or give us a ring at: [email protected] or call 020 8187 1717 to organise a visit.
• Location: Alton Arts Hub, 6 Portswood Place, SW15 4ED
• Price: Free

The exhibition will then be transferred to the Gwynneth Morgan Day Centre for a month from Monday 28^th August 2023. Venue address: 52 East Hill, London SW18 2HJ. Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm

A South Asian celebration for Wandsworth Carers

Wandsworth Carers’ Centre hosted a South Asian Art Workshop on 27 June and a celebration of South Asian cuisine and culture for local Carers at Balham Baptist Church on 26 July. The event featured dishes on offer from Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Afghanistan, The Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, alongside examples of South Asian art and a dance performance By Akademi.

Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month in Wandsworth: Programme Funding

In February 2023, the Arts & Culture Service launched a new fund for artists and cultural organisations to develop a local South Asian Heritage Month programme for the summer. The call-out was for project ideas that would encourage residents of South Asian heritage to engage in cultural activity that would be meaningful and relevant to them, as well as allow the wider community to better understand the histories of fellow residents, colleagues and students making a positive difference in shaping Wandsworth, and be inspired by them. Artists of South Asian heritage and/or South Asian-led organisations were particularly encouraged to apply, as part of a wider invitation to contribute to the cultural agenda of the borough.

These four projects were selected, each receiving up to £2,000 to develop and deliver their ideas for the South Asian Heritage Month 2023.

“Wandsworth Council is delighted to support this programme of activities and events as part of South Asian Heritage Month, celebrating South Asian history, culture and heritage. We will be recognising the rich contribution that people of South Asian heritage have made in shaping our borough and sharing the stories and experiences of people of South Asian heritage who live, work or study in Wandsworth.” says Councillor Sana Jafri, Wandsworth Council’s Deputy Mayor and Equalities Champion.