1 5 T H - 2 1 S T J U LY 2 0 1 9

A MIX AND BLEND OF THE FINEST SOUTH ASIAN

ARTS AND CULTURE

GemArts is part of Gateshead Visible Ethnic Minorities Support Group.

Registered Charity No 1008188

WELCOME TO GEMARTS AWARD WINNING MASALA FESTIVAL - A MIX AND BLEND OF THE FINEST SOUTH ASIAN ARTS AND CULTURE

GemArts is strutting into summer like a Bengal tiger as we bring you another magnificent Masala Festival!

Over 7 days, across North East venues, places and spaces we are thrilled to present an incredible line up of classical, traditional and contemporary artists from the UK and Indian sub-continent exploring themes of home, belonging, freedom, resistance, luck and hope.

On behalf of everyone at GemArts we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all the artists, producers, participants, volunteers, partners and sponsors.

We look forward to you joining us, for what promises to be a truly memorable week!

The GemArts Team Vikas, Alexandra and Annalisa

WELCOME

MASALA FESTIVAL LAUNCH WAJAHAT KHAN WITH ROYAL NORTHERN SINFONIA SAROD AND STRINGS ENSEMBLE

Date: Monday 15th July Time: 7.30pm Venue: Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead, NE8 2JR Tickets: £13.10 / Family tickets available Box office: 0191 443 4661 sagegateshead.com

GemArts Masala Festival launches with an incredible collaboration and a special evening of music composed and performed by the internationally renowned Sarod maestro Ustad Wajahat Khan with a String Quintet from Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Wajahat, with his distinctive style and virtuoso technique has made a revolutionary contribution to the art of sarod playing, becoming one of the most accomplished Indian classical musicians of his generation.

Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Sage Gateshead, is the UK’s only full-time chamber orchestra. Founded in 1958, RNS has built a worldwide reputation for the North East through the quality of its music-making.

The first half of the concert will be a traditional Indian Classical performance with Shahbaz Hussain on tabla.

Presented by GemArts and Sage Gateshead.

Image: Ustad Wajahat Khan Image: RNS by Karolina Maciagowska

GEMARTS IS SUPPORTED BY:

MASALA FESTIVAL PARTNERS:

A heart-warming story of half-brothers Omar (Antonio Aakeel) and Pete (Jack Carroll), who were raised by their Grandma after their parents were tragically killed by lions in a bizarre accident. When their beloved Gran passes away, they embark on a life-changing journey to find Omar’s birth father. What follows is a funny and touching journey of self-discovery via Blackpool and a hilarious snapshot of life in modern Britain.

EATEN BY LIONS

Date: Monday 15th July Time: 7.30pmVenue: Jam Jar Cinema, 18-24 Park Ave, Whitley Bay, NE26 1DG Tickets: £5Box office: jamjarcinema.com

Starring: Johnny Vegas, Asim Chaudhry, Jack Carroll. Director: Jason Wingard | 2019 | 95mins | cert. 12A.

Presented by GemArts and Jam Jar Cinema. ‘The Feel Good Movie

of the Year’

LUCK & HOPEAN EVENING OF POETRY WITH MONA ARSHI & IMTIAZ DHARKER

Date: Tuesday 16th July Time: 6.30pmVenue: Culture Lab, Newcastle University, NE1 7RE Tickets: FREE to attend but ticketed, please register in advance Box office: 0191 440 4124 gemarts.org

In partnership with Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts, GemArts Masala Festival is thrilled to present Mona Arshi and Imtiaz Dharker, two of the best poets writing today whose poetry explores the nuances of luck, grief and hope within our often violent and unsettling contemporary world.

Mona Arshi worked as a Human rights lawyer at Liberty before she started writing poetry. In 2015 she won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. At the centre of her latest book, Dear Big Gods, is an overarching commitment to hope.

Imtiaz Dharker grew up a Muslim Calvinist in a Lahori household in Glasgow, was adopted by India and married into Wales. Imtiaz writes about exile, journeying, home and displacement. She was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2014 and her latest collection is Luck is the Hook (Bloodaxe Books, 2018).

Curated by Dr John Challis (NCLA) with GemArts.

Image: Imtiaz Dharker by Ayesha DharkerImage: Mona Arshi by Svetlana Cernenko

Each recipe is individual, involving a unique combination of spices like fennel, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves amongst others.

This exhibition presents textile artwork inspired by each family’s unique chai recipe. Each piece includes a collection of handmade elements where stitching, crochet and fabric staining sits alongside family photographs, handwritten recipes and fragments of maps of South East Asia.

Central to the creation of this artwork are the conversations, the sharing of ideas, recipes and memories.

Presented by GemArts and Gateshead Culture Team.

CHAI & CHAT Date: Wednesday 17th July - Sat 26th October Time: During Library opening hours Venue: Gateshead Central Library (upstairs Gallery), NE8 4LNTickets: FREE – Just drop in!

Making and drinking tea is still at the heart of many family gatherings across the world.

GemArts have worked with GVEMSG Women’s Feel Good Group and artist Michelle Wood on a visual arts project, exploring family histories and the tradition of making ‘Chai’ Indian tea, often from recipes handed down through generations.

Image: Michelle Wood

Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself on the contemporary jazz scene. A vibrant and highly individual pianist and composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet reflects her classical background, British Bengali heritage and her very broad musical taste.

For Masala Festival, Zoe returns in the company of renowned Scottish saxophonist Laura Macdonald, a pairing that first came together at the 2015 Glasgow Jazz Festival, where it was widely acclaimed as one of the highlights. Laura, who studied at America’s prestigious Berklee School of Music, became the first ever winner of the Scottish Young Jazz Musician of the Year award, and went on to an extended stint as lead alto player with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra.

Join us for what promises to be an evening of powerful and exuberant music!

Presented by GemArts and Jazz North East.

ZOE RAHMAN & LAURA MACDONALDDate: Tuesday 16th July Time: 8.30pmVenue: The Literary and Philosophical Society, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 1SETickets: £12 (£10 concession)* Box office: Available from Reflex CD 0191 260 3246 seetickets.com *Booking Fee may apply see website for details

Tahmina Begum is a British Bangladeshi spoken word poet from South Shields. Influenced by politics and social events she presents her own poetry radio show on Fast FM, and is founder of the brilliant Strictly Spoken poetry nights.

Prerana Kumar is an Indian spoken word artist living in Durham. Winner of Say Owt Slam 2018 and named Verve Poet of the Slam at Unislam 2019, her poetry revolves around love, loss and occasionally, a healthy dose of nyctophilia.

Wajid Hussain is a British Pakistani poet from Newcastle who draws creative inspiration from the realism and romanticism of Wilfred Owen and Alama Iqbal. His work has a strong visual narrative, including word streams and wordsical illustrations.

Curated by Tahmina Begum with GemArts, and presented with ARCH 16.

STRICTLY SPOKEN AT MASALA FESTIVAL

Date: Thursday 18th July Time: 7pm Venue: Arch Sixteen Café, Wellington Street, Gateshead NE8 2AJ Tickets: FREE to attend but ticketed, please register in advance Box office: 0191 440 4124 gemarts.org

Masala Festival is teaming up with Strictly Spoken to present a stellar line up of North East spoken word poets exploring themes of identity, South Asian heritage and inspiration.

At age eight, Dolkar and her father fled their home, escaping Chinese armed forces in an arduous journey across the Himalayas.

Now 26, she lives in a Tibetan refugee colony in Delhi, India, where an unexpected encounter with a man from her past reveals long-suppressed memories, propelling Dolkar on an obsessive search for the truth.

With stunning cinematography and skilfully subdued tension The Sweet Requiem is an unforgettable reflection on an ongoing but too often forgotten refugee crisis.

Presented by GemArts, Aperture: Asia & Pacific Film Festival 2019 and Tyneside Cinema.

THE SWEET REQUIEM

Date: Wednesday 17th July Time: 6.30pmVenue: Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, NE1 6QG Tickets: £10.75 full price, concessions £7.25 - £8.25, under 15 - 24 year olds £4.50 (with a free Young Tyneside membership)*Box office: 0191 227 5500 tynesidecinema.co.uk *Booking Fee may apply see website for details Director: Tenzing Sonam/Ritu Sarin | English subtitles | India 2018 91 mins | cert. 15

Image: Tenzin Dolker as Docker in Ritu Sarin & Tenzing Sonam’s The Sweet Requiem Image: Tahmina Begum Image: Prerana Kumar

Image: Wajid Hussain

AN INDIAN ABROAD

Date: Saturday 20th July Time: 7.45pm Venue: Northern Stage, Newcastle, NE1 7RH Tickets: From £10 Box office: 0191 230 5151 northernstage.co.uk Suitable for Ages 12+ Stifled by life in middle-class India, Krishnan is desperate to see more of the world, so he visits the exotic island of Great Britain to learn about life and who he is. What does Krishnan’s journey teach him about the world? What might he learn about himself? And what happens when he falls in love with one of the natives?

Pariah Khan is a writer, performer and professional wrestling manager. He was voted one of Bristol’s 24 most influential young people for his work in theatre and comedy and was chosen by BBC Three as one of the UK’s top 50 creative young people in the UK.

Written & Performed by Pariah Khan Directed by Eduardo Gama

Presented by GemArts and Northern Stage.

“A shrewd and bitingly funny send-up of the ‘spiritual journey” ★★★★ Pub Theatres Magazine

Contemporary South Asian film shorts about freedom, desire and resistance.

Films include the critical documentary Qandeel about Pakistani model, actress and social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch; We Are Fire about Champa Pal’s resistance to an entrenched cultural system in Uttar Pradesh by Oscar-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel; and the indomitable spirit of woman in War-ia.

Post-screening discussion with industry contributors. Running time: 120 - 140 minutes

Curated by Bobby Tiwana with GemArts, and presented with BALTIC .

WOMAN

Date: Friday 19th July Time: 7pm Venue: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, NE8 3BA Tickets: £5 (includes welcome drink)Box office: 0191 440 4124 gemarts.org Suitable for Ages 14+

When I see her small face Her bright eyes look up at me How can I bring myself to… From East to West Village to city Fires continue to rage You stand there Rock in hand

Image: War-ia

An enthralling blend of South Asian flavours for all the family in this outdoor finale to GemArts’ Masala Festival.

Take part in colourful and vibrant arts, crafts, dhol drumming, Bollywood dance, performances by beautiful Indian Marionette puppets, and try delicious Indian street food from Dabbawal.

If you love theatre, caravans and an Indian Elvis, then look no further as this year’s finale brings you…..Elvis’s Bingo Balls - Enter a seafront arcade, pulsing with neon and filled with sounds of the slots and the bingo. Your caller, clad in his Elvis outfit, tells stories of moving to this town “so every day can be a holiday”, whilst his assistant dreams of singing, of dazzling audiences with her act.

Presented by GemArts and Live Theatre.

MASALA FESTIVAL: MINI MELA

Date: Sunday 21st JulyVenue: Live Garden, Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Newcastle NE1 3DQTime: 11am - 3pm Tickets: FREE – Just drop in!

Image: GemArts Masala Festival Mini Mela by Anna Miller

MASALA FESTIVAL AT DABBAWAL

Date: Monday 15th - 21st July Venue: Dabbawal 69-75 High Bridge, NE1 6BX and 1 Brentwood Mews, Jesmond, NE2 3DG Bookings: For restaurant opening times and bookings visit dabbawal.com

Image: Dabbawal Street Food Kitchen

Masala Festival is thrilled to be back at Dabbawal Street Food Kitchen. Over seven days, sample a specially crafted menu created by Dabbawal’s talented chefs. Capturing the tastes and the sights of the Masala Festival, you will be taken on an incredible culinary journey, soak up the surroundings and enjoy the amazing artwork created by GemArts artist Kate Hunter Parker.

If that’s not enough, Dabbawal will be serving up its fresh classic street food at GemArts Masala Festival Mini Mela on 21st July, with something for all to enjoy!

INTRODUCTORY MEDITATION

Date: Monday 15th July Time: 5.30pm - 6.30pmVenue: Newcastle Buddhist Centre, 187 Westgate road, Newcastle, NE4 6AACost: FREE donations welcome No need to book, just drop in Contact: newcastlebuddhistcentre@gmail.com

A practical introduction to either the Mindfulness of Breathing or Metta Bhavana meditation practices to help you become more aware of your body and mind, and find peace and relaxation. All welcome. Looser clothing suggested for comfort.

Stay for Buddhism for Today class covering the life of the Buddha and his key teachings at 6.45pm - 7.30pm following a tea break.

All information correct at time of print, we reserve the right to make changes if circumstances necessitate.

SPIRITLEVEL YOGA SESSIONS WITH ROBYN Date: Various, for full details see: spiritlevelyoga.co.uk Venue: SpiritLevel Boutique Studio, Simonside Terrace, Heaton NE6 5JY Cost: £10 drop in / £3* for first class on presentation of Masala Festival brochureContact: Robyn: 07946 413497 spiritlevelyoga.co.uk

A creative and playful approach to yoga, developing an understanding of the philosophy, exploring the relationship between tension and effort; using the breath and a little mischievous wiggling(!!) to ease the mind. *offer valid until 31st August 2019

FAMILY FRIENDLY BEACH YOGA AND PICNIC WITH THE YOGA TRIBE

Date: Sunday 21stJuly Time: 9.30am Venue: Cullercoats Bay Cost: Adults £6 / Children £2 Contact: 07446704159 TheYogaTribeNE@gmail.com

Join the Yoga Tribe for family friendly beach yoga at Cullercoats Bay. Bring along a picnic and we can enjoy breakfast on the beach afterwards.

For info on other classes visit: TheYogaTribeNE.co.uk

ARTS DIAMONDS AT MASALA FESTIVAL: CHAI AND CHAT, PAPER TEA CUP WORKSHOP

Date: Tuesday 16th July Time: 10.30am - 12.30pm Venue: Gateshead Central Library, NE8 4LNTickets: FREE to attend but ticketed – please register in advanceBox Office: 0191 433 8420 www.gateshead.gov.uk

Tea cups are a reminder of community places where people meet up and socialise, of home and a warm welcome across the world.

Join artist Michelle Wood for this special Masala Festival Workshop. Create unique paper tea cups using maps of South Asia, decorated with print and collage techniques, try a cup of chai (Indian tea) and enjoy the Chai and Chat exhibition at the gallery.

For people of retirement age

Presented by GemArts and Gateshead Council Culture Team.

BOLLYWOOD DANCE WORKSHOP Date: Saturday 20th July Time: 11am - 12pmVenue: Caedmon Hall, Gateshead Central Library, NE8 4LN Cost: £5 Adult / £4 Child Contact: 0191 4404124 gemarts.org

Join GemArts dancer Breeze and try one of the most famous, fun modern dance styles from Indian Bollywood Film, fusing Indian classical dance, folk dance, Bhangra, Hip Hop, Salsa, Jazz and Belly Dancing!

Suitable for all ages. Spaces are limited so please book early.

WORKSHOPS AT MASALA FESTIVAL 2019 YOGA AT MASALA FESTIVAL 2019

Image: GemArts Masala Festival Mini Mela by Anna Miller

Image: GemArts Masala Festival by Anna Miller Image: JD Mason on Unsplash

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE GEMARTS.ORG

CONTACT US ON 0191 440 4124 OR EMAIL INFO@GEMARTS.ORG