Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with Manchester Museum

The two-day festival will feature a variety of events including, film, music, workshops and more.

Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with Manchester Museum

MANCHESTER Museum, part of The University of Manchester, is celebrating South Asian Heritage Month or SAHM (July 18 – August 17) with an unmissable two-day festival featuring film, music, workshops and more.

The SAHM, which is an annual awareness month, begins on July 18, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 gained royal assent, and ends on August 17, when the Radcliffe Line was published in 1947, finally setting out the border between India, West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).


On July 22, the event will see the private screening of Singh Twins’ ‘Jallianwala: Repression & Retribution’ and it will be followed by a conversation with the award-winning artists. The 2019 film focuses on their detailed artwork exploring the 1919 massacre in Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab in India when a British general ordered his troops to open fire on a peaceful demonstration of unarmed Indian civilians, including women and children.

South Asia Gallery Collective Some members of South Asia Gallery Collective (Photo: Manchester Museum)

On the next day (July 23), a series of Bengali folk music performances and the screening of a short film ‘Our Songs’ will be organised. Poetry workshops with young people from Our Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH) will be held where the participants will be helped on exploring ‘taboo’ subjects in a safe space.

Award-winning British author Anita Sethi will host a writing workshop focusing on place, nature and journeying. There will also be a panel discussion with the South Asia Collective -- a group of inspiring individuals who have been integral in the production and design of Manchester Museum’s forthcoming South Asia Gallery.

Anita Sethi Anita Sethi (Photo by George Torode)

The South Asia Gallery, a British Museum Partnership Gallery, will be opened for the public next February.

The objects and stories in the new gallery will draw on the lived experience and heritage of the Collective. Their storytelling is centred on both their personal and professional experiences, journeys of their families and their own research and interests.

The SAHM festival is taking place at the Whitworth on Oxford Road, while Manchester Museum is closed for its £15 million ‘hello future’ transformation.

Esme Ward, director of the Manchester Museum, said, “South Asian Heritage Month is an important celebration of South Asian heritage and history in the UK through arts, culture, education and commemoration.

“We’re delighted to mark this with a number of events that are programmed in collaboration with South Asian communities, artists and performers. It is also an opportunity to give audiences a taste of what’s to come when Manchester Museum reopens to visitors in 2023. Among our extraordinary new galleries will be the UK’s first permanent space dedicated to exploring the stories, experiences, cultures and contributions of South Asian diaspora.”

Find out more and book tickets on Manchester Museum’s Eventbrite page.

Programme schedule:

Friday, July 22: 6:30 – 8:30pm, The Singh Twins - Jallianwala: Repression & Retribution

An exclusive opportunity to see the Singh Twins' 2019 film Jallianwala: Repression & Retribution, followed by an in conversation with the award-winning artists and Dr Deana Heath, author of 'Colonial Terror: Torture and State Violence in Colonial India'.

Saturday, July 23:

12pm – 1pm, A Celebration of Bengali Folk Musical Heritage – Curated by Anindita Ghosh

This is a tribute to and celebration of Bengali folk music that has shaped the cultural identity of Bengali communities both in South Asia and the diaspora, including the UK.

In a series of musical and dance performances, embedded in narration and contextualisation, this one-hour event will provide a rich showcase of Bengali musical traditions that are still critical in shaping Bangladeshi heritage in the region and the wider world. There will be an additional screening of a short film called ‘Our Songs’ featuring an intergenerational dialogue on Bangla folk music.

12pm – 2pm, Writing Workshop with Anita Sethi

A two-hour session with tutor Anita Sethi, award-winning author of ‘I Belong Here: a Journey Along the Backbone of Britain’. We'll explore themes of place, nature, journeying - both geographical and emotional journeys - and how writing can bring a sense of belonging. A workshop filled with practical tools and tips, in which you have time and space to work on writing exercises and share and develop your voice.

12pm - 3pm, Meet the South Asia Gallery Collective

Meet some of the team behind the Manchester Museum’s ground-breaking South Asia Gallery, which will be opened to the public in 2023. This panel discussion led by South Asia Gallery Curator Nusrat Ahmed will give an insight into the gallery, its development, vision and goals.

This is the first UK gallery of its size to be community co-curated. This discussion will be a unique opportunity to find out more about the process, with panel members sharing their experiences of co-curation, good practice and learning.

Throughout the day, Taboos & Untouched Topics hosted by Maya Chowdhury

Join the young people of Our Shared Cultural Heritage for a poetry workshop exploring taboos and untouched topics within South Asian culture and community. This workshop will provide a safe space to discuss and creatively respond to prompts such as mental health, sex, periods and more.

More For You

Police officers

Police officers stand guard between an anti fascist group and Tommy Robinson supporters during an anti-immigration rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, September 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

UK defends France migrant returns deal after court blocks first removal

THE British government has defended its new migrant returns deal with France after a High Court ruling temporarily blocked the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker, marking an early legal setback to the scheme.

The 25-year-old man, who arrived in Britain on a small boat from France on August 12, was due to be placed on an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Wednesday (17) morning. But on Tuesday (16), Judge Clive Sheldon granted an interim injunction, saying there was a “serious issue to be tried” over his claim to be a victim of trafficking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

Dr Amal Bose. (Photo: Lancashire Police)

Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

AN ASIAN senior heart surgeon, who abused his position to sexually assault female members of staff, has been jailed for six years.

Dr Amal Bose, from Lancaster, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault against five colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2022. He was cleared of two other charges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

Trump greets Modi on 75th birthday, trade talks continue in Delhi

Highlights:

  • Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
  • Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
  • India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Donald Trump and Melania Trump

Donald Trump and Melania Trump exit Air Force One after arriving at London Stansted Airport for a state visit on September 16, 2025 in Stansted, Essex.

Getty Images

UK rolls out royal welcome as Trump begins second state visit

Highlights:

  • Trump begins his second state visit to the UK with a royal welcome at Windsor Castle
  • Prince William, Catherine, King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in ceremony
  • State banquet and trade talks with prime minister Keir Starmer scheduled
  • Protests and security operation mark visit amid political challenges

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump began his unprecedented second state visit to Britain on Wednesday with a lavish welcome from King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle.

Keep ReadingShow less
11th UK Gatka Championship

All winners received medals and trophies

UK Parliament

11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

Highlights:

  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut

The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

Inauguration by global leaders

The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.

Keep ReadingShow less