Sangam Festival set to return to Kirklees this summer

Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, The Sangam festival, which is run by Huddersfield-based social enterprise Communities Together, will run from July 18 until August 17 and will coincide with South Asian Heritage Month.

The diverse programme of events will include venue-based, outdoor and digital activities celebrating South Asian heritage, arts and culture – from film, music, dance, themed walks and family events to talks, workshops and oral history projects.

The festival will start with the official opening of a Hub on the Piazza in Huddersfield on July 16 and feature a special appearance from iconic children’s book character Elmer.

This will be followed by the return of the Sangam Mela (previously Kirklees Mela) on Sunday July 17 in Greenhead Park with rides, stalls, food and music for all the family to enjoy.

As part of the festival there will also be a wide programme of special projects delivered in partnership with local cultural and community organisations.

The special projects will run alongside the main festival programme and will be headlined with a moving documentary film entitled “A Quest for Roti”, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of Partition.

The film explores the emotional and logistical backdrop to journeys made by families of South Asian heritage who came to Kirklees from the 1960s onwards.

This year’s festival programme will also see greater engagement with local schools as well as online activities to encourage wider participation.

Qaisar Mahmood, CEO of Communities Together and Radio Sangam, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Sangam Festival back to Kirklees for the second year and look forward to seeing lots of people getting involved with the many exciting events and special projects we have planned.

“A huge thank you to all our cultural partners who have worked with us to develop such a varied programme of events for all to enjoy, and of course our funders – Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund for their financial support.

“We look forward to seeing you all in the summer.”

Sangam Festival is a community festival celebrating South Asian arts, culture and heritage with the aim of bringing people together to enjoy heritage and multi-arts events in a spirit of celebration, positivity and harmony.

The festival will also be supported by Communities Together’s sister organisation Radio Sangam, the most followed South Asian community radio station in the UK, broadcasting 24/7, 365 days a year in Urdu, Punjabi, Sylheti, Arabic, Gujarati and English.

Information about the Festival and the full programme can be found at: https://sangamfestival.co.uk/