Birmingham arts programme features theatre, dance and music

Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage will bring theatre, walking tours, live music and dance to Birmingham as part of its 2026/27 programme.

The programme includes a new play exploring young people’s use of artificial intelligence, a Diwali-themed walking tour of Stratford Road and a performance by Birmingham-born dance artist Vidya Patel.

Sampad’s Can We Talk? will be staged as part of the BEDLAM Arts and Mental Health Symposium on November 6 and 7. The 30-minute production, written by Rochi Rampal and developed with young people, parents, headteachers and mental health professionals, follows a teenager who turns to artificial intelligence for emotional support rather than talking to people around them.

Set within a British South Asian family, the play explores mental health, communication and the impact of technology on relationships across generations.

On November 7, Sampad’s Stratford Road Walking Tour will take on a Diwali theme, exploring the area’s shops, food, traditions and stories of migration. The tour will include visits to Asian shops, a Hindu temple, a wedding superstore and a Yemeni restaurant.

Sustainable fashion will be the focus of a Chai and Chat event on November 12, organised with Birmingham Back to Backs. Entrepreneur Rukhsana Sardar will discuss her move from working internationally in fast fashion to establishing an upcycling business. The event will include a question-and-answer session, with participants invited to bring along an upcycling project for advice.

Dance audiences will also have the chance to see Vidya Patel perform in her home city. The Birmingham-born choreographer, who trained in Kathak, will bring together Indian classical and contemporary dance and music, joined by regional dancers Shreya Vathsa and Shriya Sharma.

Sampad’s Midday Mantra series, organised with B, also returns in November, with a lunchtime celebration of Bangla music and dance. Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Amith Dey, the performance will feature Bangladeshi vocalist Abanti Sithi.

The series will continue throughout 2027, with planned performances including New Year, New Sounds in January, Love Songs in February and Spirit of Spring in May.

Looking further ahead, Sampad’s Asian Spring event will return in 2027, bringing community dance groups from Birmingham and the wider region together for a celebration of South Asian dance. Performances will range from Kathak to Bhangra, showcasing dancers of different ages and experience levels.

Piali Ray, artistic director of Sampad, said the programme aimed to reflect the people and times we live in while celebrating the diversity of South Asian arts.

She added that the events would create opportunities for people to come together, discover something new and connect with one another.