We’re excited to announce that we’ve been working hard over the last few months to curate and produce the first ever South Asian Queer Pride festival in the UK!
South Asian Queer Pride has been brought to life through an amazing collaboration between Inspirate, Asifa Lahore (Festival Curator), Claudia Coelho (Producer), Queer Croydon and Stanley Arts.
‘I have dreamt, yearned for and advocated for a South Asian Queer Pride for my entire life. To have an event where we can be unapologetically Desi and queer at the same time is my queer Bollywood fantasy come true. The South Asian queer community is arguably the largest queer community of colour in the UK and we are constantly sidelined by the mainstream.
To have an event where we are not there to tick boxes, are simply add ons or have to present western appealing performances is us taking control of our own narratives and destiny. This is our queer Mela. This is South Asian Queer Pride.’
(Asifa Lahore, Britain’s first out Muslim drag queen)
This year, the festival is a one day event, happening on Saturday 20th April, from 1-11pm, at Stanley Arts, Croydon.
Showcasing the vibrancy of South Asian Queer identity and artistic expression, this unique festival will be a safe, healing and inclusive space where South Asian Queer artists can freely express their sense of self, their imagination and creativity through their art form.
South Asian Queer Pride 2024 is a multi art form event, including dance, music, poetry, cabaret, burlesque and visual arts, and will feature both emerging and established South Asian Queer artists.
The festival will also be a platform for dialogue about LGBTQIA issues, including a programme of discussions, workshops and talks exploring the intersectionality of being South Asian and Queer, and the importance of rights, representation, inclusion and freedom of identity.
Award-winning Neo-Bollyesque Queen, Bolly Ditz Dolly celebrates the golden tunes of yester-year with a tassel-twirling twist. A prolific performer known for her unique blend of Bollywood dance, burlesque, cabaret, spoken word and poetry, dotting around a number of legendary venues and spaces.
Bolly-Illusion (Glory’s Lipsync 1000 Winner) is a Drag artist storming the cabaret world. Infusing their Indian heritage and bringing sass to the dance floor. They have been featured in Vogue Italia and Another Man Magazine publications. They have also been showcased at The National Maritime Museum for the South Asian Pioneers Exhibition as well as The Design Museum.
BollySass is an empowering and risqué cabaret & bollywood dance group. We are a cocktail of Cabaret, Bollywood, Burlesque and Ancient Indian temple dance. Our acts are full alluring, captivating & full of surprises!
Bollyqueer, as featured in BBC Three's documentary Bend It Like Bollywood, is a Bollywood dance company made by and for queer people. It aims to encourage empowerment by breaking down gender and sexuality norms, and recognising those who exist beyond the gender binary. We challenge the often heteronormative lense that Bollywood has, and portrays stories of queer joy and non-conformity through the magic of Bollywood dance.
South London-based artist Sabiyha is putting humanity to the forefront of their music as they explore the most vulnerable and empowering parts of themselves, weaving reality through their music, and taking a firm stance on standing strong with their LGBTQIA+ community. Their previous work has gathered support from the likes of Gay Times, The Guardian, Gal-Dem, The Line Of Best Fit, Nadine Shah, Jess Iszatt, and BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders.
Val The Brown Queen, the vibrant Muslim drag sensation hailing from Manchester, captivates audiences with her uproarious performances. Born and bred in the heart of the city, Val's comedic numbers have become a local treasure. Beyond the stage, she's set to dazzle on-screen, joining forces with actor Ben Hardy in the upcoming film "Unicorns," promising a double dose of charisma and entertainment.
Lucky Roy Singh is the Award Winning LGBTQ+ Activist, Forced Marriage, Honour Based Abuse & Domestic Violence Campaigner, Model, Actor, Mother of House of Spice & UK'S TOP Indian Sikh Drag Queen
NEO 10Y is a recording artist and spiritual revolutionary from London. Their purpose is to manifest a protopian dimension of peace through the expansion of love energy. With Indian ancestry and Vedic philosophies, NEO 10Y’s songs are empowering, anthemic and liberated. They have critical acclaim from Billboard, Paper, The Evening Standard, Rolling Stone and more, and NEO 10Y’s live shows have taken place at concert venues, galleries and festivals in the UK, Europe, and USA.
Norman Mine, an Italian-London-based artist, works across acting, film, performance, poetry, and social practice. He founded Norwood JunKAction, an art-eco-community project in Croydon. Mine conducts diverse creative workshops, prioritizing accessibility and effectiveness for participants of all backgrounds and abilities. His work revolves around unveiling hierarchies, fostering debate, and promoting social exchange within familiar landscapes.
Raheem Payne has been training in dance and movement, especially Kathak, for a number of years now and has taken it beyond the traditional realms. Raheem has taken his training and applied it to Cabaret and Drag Artistry and hopes to continue to integrate both sides of his cultural heritage within performance. He has performed in many prestigious locations, been commissioned by Akādemi to and choreographed for TV & Film.
Dirish specialises in Yoga Dance & Mediatation. Growing up in a Hindu household, mantras & meditation were always part of their spiritual DNA. The are the founder of Euphoria Yoga & Dance teacher trainings to share these integrated practices. Their work has been featured in Apple TV, Selfridges, WeWork & The Guardian.
Jason Patel is a rising global artist. Patel has been recognised for his artistry. His most recent single 'Choclafied' is the precursor to his anticipated first EP ‘Delicious’. Patel stars in ‘UNICORNS’ with Ben Hardy which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival & BFI London Film Festival, directed by Sally El Hosaini & James Krishna Floyd. The film received universally positive reviews and placed Patel on several best performers lists. Unicorns releases in cinemas later this year.
The world destroyer if you don’t know she’s coming for ya! Yes it’s the south Asian princess that won many crowns but not only that peoples hearts *awee*. She’s the fun dancing diva that will show a split or two while interlocking her modern pop music with classic Bollywood tracks. You wouldn’t want to miss out!
Shiva Raichandani is a BAFTA-nominated, multidisciplinary non-binary artist working across film, television, and stage. They were a semi-finalist on Britain's Got Talent, a contestant on India’s and France’s Got Talent, and has been a dance choreographer and educator for over 12 years across Indonesia, Hong Kong, India, and the United Kingdom. They're passionate about archiving, documenting, and telling stories of resilience and resistance through the medium of performance art.
Known as the Mistress of Spices, and guaranteed to send your pulse racing! Pat Elle takes inspiration from risqué Bollywood and Arabic movements, her style oozes Bollywood glamour with a touch of British cheek. Pat is a queer UK based Bollywood inspired Burlesque performer, and would absolutely relish the opportunity to showcase my Indian and British heritage on stage!
The South-Eastern Desi Princess in a Western World. She’s the sensation that brings trickles of sweat down your forehead. As well as a tall glass of your favourite h2h0e, extra minerals included. Here to spice up your life and quench your thirst. From Dhaka to Dalston Bengali Dancing Diva…Minara ‘El Waters
The UK's most visibly proud LGBTQ British Turban-wearing Sikh whose dynamic vocals sound like a powerhouse soul diva! He performs his homage to the much loved Ibiza style club anthems from the 90s to 00s! Amrick performs on an international level from Miami to Switzerland to Manchester to Amsterdam to Slovenia and many more! Most will recognise him from The Voice, The X-Factor and Come dine with me along with being the face of Sainsbury's nationwide advertising campaign 3 years running!
This year’s theme is Shakti, meaning ‘power’, ‘force’, ‘action’, an energy that resides within us and is present within the world around us. Through forming these exciting partnerships and collaborations, and channelling our collective inner ‘shakti’, we bring you a festival that embraces JOY, TRAILBLAZING VISIBILTY, STRENGTH and COMMUNITY.
This powerful theme has also been inspired by the first ever UK LGBTQIA South Asian support network during the 80’s, called Shakti, providing a safe space for British South Asian Queer people. One of the pioneering voices within Shakti, DJ Ritu, will be our resident DJ during the day, alongside an eclectic and exciting programme of artists and activities that will unapologetically transform and energise Stanley Arts throughout the day and evening!
The full programme and ticketing links will be announced on 5th April, so watch this space for more details! Updates and announcements will be on our website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
This project has been funded by Arts Council England.
For more information and/or queries please contact us at contact@inspirate.org