Asian Arts Access is an arts development agency, a research and development organisation and a production house. Established in 1991, it is perhaps the only Asian arts development agency which does not have an artform bias and which works in cross-artform programmes nationally through carefully structured networks.

Asian Arts Access is a creative Asian arts development organisation and a production house. Based in England, its primary work programmes focus on the development of collaborative projects aimed at creative arts, Festivals and audience development.

We have no artform bias. We work to promote, develop and present South Asian arts in the UK, defined in this site as the arts of the Indian Sub-continent but suitably translated and interpreted to meet the needs of United Kingdom based Asian and cross-cultural audiences.

There are a number of major strands in our approach:

• Artistic projects are based on networking and collaborations and are informed by latest findings in audience research.
• The work is artist-led
• A carefully controlled research and development programme ensures quality and impact
• Proactive programmes, also to be presented online, are aimed at promoting equal opportunities, audience development, promoting critical debate, community involvement, education and cross-cultural access and organisational development and capacity building to attract investment to Asian arts.
• We undertake high quality consultancy work and also carry out audience research for funders and promoters.

Founder: Kalwant Ajimal FRSA

All content is owned by Asian Arts Access Ltd and protected by UK and international copyright treaties and may not be published without permission. Use of Asian Arts Access content online is strictly prohibited. Material owned by Asian Arts Access Ltd may be made available for educational and training purposes provided it is not modified, copyright is retained by Asian Arts Access and permission is granted prior to use.

Asian Arts Access wins a Millennium Festival Award
- Sanskaraz

Think of Rubik's Cube. In this production, the smaller cubes, their 'faces' and their colours represent communities and cultures. Essentially "linked" in the middle the cubes seemingly operate as 'independent' entities, which interact and interface with each other to offer endless permutations and combinations. However, all communities celebrate common events- a key reflection of cultural diversity in our society today. Sanskaras (the plural has a 'z') are celebrations of time based events - birth, coming of age, weddings, old age and death.

The production celebrates time-based events in the lives of Asian communities but also projects the lives of other communities also experiencing the same rites of passage. Its target audience is children of all ages and from all cultural backgrounds but it also challenges the thinking of adults. Combined arts, storytelling, music, dance and visual arts are used along with selective use of computer graphics to create images representing space and movement in different time zones and to reinforce the universality of the life stage concept. Colour and imagery will add to a tightly commissioned script, music and dances, all of which will be created to show logical substitution - just as the smaller cubes in Rubik's Cube can take the place of others without losing the overall shape of the larger cube - the essence of unity of life on earth.

Sanskaraz was first produced as a play for four secondary schools in Slough, Berkshire.

For information and details please contact:

Kalwant Ajimal
Founder and Executive Producer, Sanskaraz
Asian Arts Access
Tel: 01483 538265
e-mail: kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com