Birmingham Hosts Week-Long Cultural Festival Celebrating Bengali Artists

A cultural and artistic festival honoring Bengali artists is currently underway in Birmingham. This series of events, part of Bangla Week 2024, is scheduled from November 16-23. The Bangladeshi Artist Development Agency (BADA) has organized the festival, which includes exhibitions at the Birmingham Hippodrome, the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Aftab Rahman, the founder of BADA, expressed his hope that the event would generate sufficient interest to establish a nationwide Bangla Week in the coming year. The initial exhibition, highlighting Bangladeshi talent, is set to commence on Saturday at 18:00 GMT at the Hippodrome. A theatre production, titled Wish Wash Time Machine, delves into the relationships among Birmingham’s South Asian diaspora communities through the sharing of migration narratives. Director Fateha Begum stated that the performance, featuring 18 young individuals from north-east Birmingham, united young people from diverse backgrounds. She remarked: “This is the culmination of hard work over five months. For some, it will be their first time performing or even watching a show at Birmingham Hippodrome.” Additionally, a mime show named Anil Kaka will be presented, succeeded by a traditional kathak dance performance by dancer and choreographer Atreyee Bhattacharyya. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience traditional Bengali vocals through a performance of Adhunik Bangla gaan by Torit Das. A display of artwork by graphic designer Ruhul Islam is scheduled for the Soho House Museum, starting Saturday, from 12:00 to 17:00. This exhibition will remain accessible until November 23 and offers free admission to the public. Commenting on the exhibitions, Mr Rahman stated: “The event will support and profile Bangladeshi artists in the region, and we hope it might be the catalyst for a nationwide Bangla Week UK to take place next year.” The Our Stories Through Nakshi Kantha exhibition narrates the journeys of women who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India to Birmingham. These narratives are conveyed through drama, sketching, and Nakshi Kantha embroidery—an embroidery art form notable to Bangladesh and West Bengal that dates back centuries. This particular exhibition will be accessible at the Midlands Art Centre on Thursday, from 10:00 to 17:00. This exhibition also offers traditional masala chai—a spiced tea widely consumed in South Asia—and an evening of poetry. It is scheduled to take place at the MAC on Thursday, from 18:00 until 20:30. Poets drawing inspiration from Bengali artists and culture will perform, with the event open to spoken word artists. The festival is set to conclude on November 23 with a concert hosted at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. British Bengali musician Tara Lily will present a performance of jazz and Bangla music, collaborating with members of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The evening’s host will be comedian and BBC Asian Network presenter Smash Bengali, and it will feature a performance by Bangla musician Junayed Andrew.