In the world of Nukthut, the monsoon rains hold a special place.
On a warm, wet, drizzly, grey, showery, 14th October, we presented our mix of community and professional dance ensembles at CultureFest at Eltham Palace. It’s fair to say the monsoon rains had decided to arrive in time for the festival.
We selected a medley of songs with the theme of rain and armed with our rain friendly chattris (umbrellas) we shared the choreography of falling droplets of rain to a wonderful inter-generational audience.
With the monsoon comes change, prosperity and often risk and as a result the monsoon season has inspired poets, musicians and artists for many thousands of years from the Indian Sub -continent. Many Nutkhut projects have included ‘rain’ as a moment of change – in our award winning ‘Bollywood Steps’ water and rain were at the heart of this show, with a grande finale where we dispensed 3000 litres of recycled rainwater into the show.
In the words of our wonderful neighbours, Greenwich Dance, “the whole of the Great Hall erupted into a scene of sequins and colour as the magical dancers from Nutkhut had everyone up and dancing.”
Photo Credit: Greenwich Dance and Nicole Guarino
This year, the Godiva Festival celebrated its 20th Anniversary – with our London Mela team, we hosted and programmed 7 hours of the best of British Asian live music – a road trip that took us from 16th century middle east with Qawwal from Abi Sampa and her ensemble in her unique style, the sufi mystic element of Islam, to the district of Mianwali with Attahulah Khan Isakehelvi and the heartlands of the Sairaiki region of Pakistan’s Punjab region on the edge of the Grand Trunk Road. Over the boarder to the plains of India’s Punjab for Desi Bhangra, swinging over two continents with a Southall twist with H Dhami. Then around the M25 to Essex with TOWIE’s Jasmin Walia and the sound London clubland, then back around the M25 and up the A1 to Grimsby with pop sensation Zack Knight. Then closer to home with Midlands finest, the mighty award winning Apache Indian and his music academy crew and to finish off with the punk, electro consious sounds of the Asian Dub Foundation – phew! Phenomenal, Physical and full on!
As the country largest free family outdoor festival it was a special privilege to be involved in this special event which launched Coventry’s UK City of Culture 2021.
Continuing Nutkhut’s interest in how migration and history have developed contemporary culture, through art, poetry and performance, co-Artistic Director Ajay Chhabra travelled to California in July 2018.
He met with artists, policy makers and programmers in Sacramento and attended the launch of the 40th San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival at City Hall, San Francisco.
Poet Laureate Kim Shuck read poems about dance with an eye to the way that traditional Cherokee Stomp Dance is used to re-balance the world. As a Tsalagi (Cherokee)/Euro-American poet, author, weaver, she has drawn from Southeastern Native American culture and tradition as well as contemporary urban Indian life.
Pictured Left to Right: Kate Patterson-Murphy; Director of Communications, San Francisco Arts Commission, Rachelle Axel; Director of Public & Private Partnerships, San Francisco Arts Commission and Ajay Chhabra; Co-founder & Creative Director, Nutkhut
We’re looking forward to heading back to the always spectacular Oslo Mela with our fabulous Princess & Maharajah Stilt Walkers this year! We’ll be part of the official opening ceremony on 17th August and will be out and about throughout the whole festival until the 19th August.