Kala Sangam announces two exciting, new Associate Companies for Bradford Arts Centre

As we begin to put plans in place for the grand opening of Bradford Arts Centre in September, we are delighted to announce Bradford South Asian Festival (BSAF) and Rhythmosaic as new Associate Companies.

First set up in 2022, the Associate Company programme sees Kala Sangam providing a bespoke package of support, working closely with each organisation to help them grow and develop. This can include a commitment to performing their work; co-commissioning; rehearsal and office space; fundraising support; championing their work and more.

Established in 2020, BSAF is an authentic celebration of South Asian arts and culture. Usually held during South Asian Heritage month, their weekend long festival features a range of events and activities including dance, music, comedy and food. The company also recently received funding from Bradford City of Culture to develop a new piece of theatre exploring the traditions and rituals of marriages. As well as continuing to house BSAF’s annual weekend of events, as an Associate Company we will support the team to develop their long-term plans and funding strategies.

Based in both Yorkshire and India, Rhythmosaic is a dance company working across the world to combine the traditional Indian dance form Kathak with contemporary dance forms. Their last performance, Conversing with the Crow premiered at Kala Sangam in Spring 2023 and featured dance students from Leeds Beckett University. Alongside creating incredible work, the company teaches Kathak dance to students in Leeds and Bradford, including Saturday morning classes at Kala Sangam. As an Associate Company, we will help Rhythmosaic to further establish themselves in Bradford and the UK.

Alex Croft, Kala Sangam’s Creative Director said, ‘Supporting diverse artists and organisations to build sustainable futures is one of the most important things we do, and I am really excited to be expanding our Associate Companies list to include Bradford South Asian Festival and Rhythmosaic.’

‘BSAF’s annual festival is always a highlight of our year and I’m excited to see them take over Bradford Arts Centre with their blend of creativity and celebration of South Asian culture. Rhythmosaic combine Kathak with contemporary dance to create beautiful, inspiring performances and I hope, with our support, they will build audiences for their work across the country.’

Rahila Hussain, co-director of Bradford South Asian Festival, says: ‘It’s an honour and a privilege for BSAF to be asked to partner with Kala Sangam/Bradford Arts Centre as an Associate Company. We feel this is the culmination of an exciting journey so far, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. The team at Kala Sangam have already been an integral part of our development journey, offering invaluable support.

‘In this incredibly significant year for Bradford and its communities, and for Kala Sangam itself, how wonderful to be able to solidify that relationship. We look forward to co-delivering some amazing new projects, and making the most of the additional expertise, guidance and collaborative opportunities this new chapter offers. BSAF has always been about creating joyful and authentic cultural activities rooted deeply in the lived experiences of our communities, and with this partnership, we are confident of being able to do that in an even bigger, better and bolder way for many years to come.’

Dr Shambik Ghose, from Rhythmosaic said, ‘The relationship between Rhythmosaic and Kala Sangam is where we truly go global – celebrating culture and embracing diversity. We are also very excited to connect with Bradford South Asian Festival and celebrate creativity together.’

Bradford South Asian Festival will be one of the key events in Bradford Arts Centre’s opening season – more details will be revealed in July 2025. Rhythmosaic’s Kathak class is at 10am on Saturday mornings (during term time) at Kala Sangam’s temporary offices in the centre of Bradford. Full details can be found here.