Kala Sangam announces first off site performances as building closes for redevelopment.
Kala Sangam will close to the public on 22 December 2023 and tickets are now on sale for the first events of an 18-month programme of performances at venues across the Bradford district while the company’s Arts Centre undergoes a major redevelopment.
Beginning at Keighley Creative with a new play from local writer Kerry Wright, the Kala Sangam on Tour programme will bring dance, theatre, music and spoken word to a mix of traditional performance venues and unusual spaces across the city.
Running from 30 January to 2 February, Kailey draws on Wright’s own family history to explore the impact having a parent in prison has on young people. Nina Rajarani and Srishti Dance Creations will showcase up and coming Bharatanatyam dancers with Pathways on Saturday 2 March. More events, including Kala Sangam’s annual Arts Iftar, will be announced early in the new year.
Alex Croft, Creative Director of Kala Sangam said, ‘With building work getting underway and a programme of performances happening across the district, 2024 is going to be a very exciting year for Kala Sangam. We are really looking forward to sharing our work with venues and audiences across the district, kicking off at Keighley Creative with Kerry Wright’s important new play.’
‘Make sure you are signed up to our mailing list for all the latest information about our events and regular updates on how the building work is going.’
Kala Sangam’s multi-million-pound project will see the venue take over the ground floor of their home in St Peter’s House, installing a new theatre, creating 5 new studio spaces and improving access throughout. Along with a new entrance at the front of the building, new lifts will ensure all floors are accessible to everyone. The work will also create a new, permanent, home for BCB radio and additional space available for commercial hire.
The work is expected to take until mid-2025 and the organisation will reopen as Bradford Arts Centre, as one of the milestone events in Bradford’s City of Culture year. During the closure, the Kala Sangam team will be based at offices in the city centre and will continue to provide studio space for artists, as well as a meeting rooms available for hire. More information about the rooms available and how to book will be released in the new year.