South Asian Arts UK launches fundraising campaign to bring Sleeping Beauty to life
Yorkshire based arts charity, South Asian Arts UK (SAA-uk), is asking for help to unite East and West and bring a fairy-tale to life with an Indian inspired performance of Sleeping Beauty.
SAA-uk is hoping to raise £5,000 in order to create a unique production of Sleeping Beauty through the use of Indian classical dance and shadow puppetry, helping young people aged 4 and upwards showcase their skills and entertain a wider audience. SAA-uk opened its doors in 1997 and is a centre of excellence for classical and contemporary Indian music and dance.
The project gives young people the opportunity to take to the famous stage at the West Yorkshire Playhouse as part of its Open Season and will take place on 23rd July. It hopes to bridge the gap between the two different cultures that it unites.
The initiative is being led by Seetal Kaur, daughter of SAA-uk’s Managing Director, Keranjeet. Funding for the venue, performers costs and some of the rehearsal time has already been secured, but an extra £5,000 is required for the final rehearsal hours, costumes and lighting. SAA-uk requested funding earlier in the year to support this project, but they were rejected. Now committed to raising funds themselves, they have until the 23rd June.
Despite these setbacks the show has already benefited from the expertise of others. Director Jonnie Khan and professional dance teachers Aditi Sen and Santosh Menon have all helped put the show together.
Seetal Kaur said: “Story-telling and mythical tales have deep roots in the ancient traditions of Indian classical dance so it made perfect sense to interpret a well-known fairy-tale when we were deciding to do something a bit different.”
“This project helps gives young people of all ages the opportunity to showcase their skills and bring a fresh concept to new audiences. The performance is all about bringing the different art forms into the 21st century and we want to give people of all ages the opportunity to interact with fairy-tales, Indian classical dance and shadow puppetry in their own way. SAA-uk’s support is invaluable in bringing our version of Sleeping Beauty to life but we really need the community’s support in order to make it happen.”
To make a pledge to the project please visit: http://kck.st/1F1xgYH