A NEW project involving local groups and renowned British Asian musicians and dancers is beginning in Ryedale.

The Milton Rooms in Malton has worked with Asian arts organisation, Manasamitra, to devise the project and raised funding from Arts Council England and the Wharfedale Foundation.

Merryn Wilderspin, Chair of the Milton Rooms, said: “We are really grateful to our funders, without their support this exciting new project would never have got off the ground.”

The aim of the music element of the project is to match leading practitioners in Indian-based music with local music groups to create new compositions which are a fusion of British and Indian musical traditions.

The project will pair the Harmonia choir with Supriya Nagarajan, one of the most sort-after Carnatic vocalists in the UK. Supriya has performed around the world including India, Thailand and Cambodia and is currently developing new work around the theme of ‘lullaby’ with partners in Scandinavia, including the Ultima Contemporary Music Festival in Oslo, Norway; the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland, and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Harmonia will also work with Duncan Chapman a composer and sound artist who regularly works with leading music organisations in the UK and throughout the world.

London-based Shri Sriram will work with the Swinton Excelsior Band and Thornton le Dale Ukeleles. Shri has composed and written for theatre, dance and Indian feature films and his music has featured on advertisements and TV shows such as CSI & Top Gear. In 2016 Shri won the British Composer of the Year (Wind or Brass Band) Award with the cutting-edge new work called 'Just A Vibration', written as part of a project with the Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band.

The dance element of the project will be led by Chiragi Solanki, who has over 20 years of experience teaching and performing Rass Garba (Indian – Gujarati) dance. Chiragi has performed on TV and at a range of venues across the UK. The dance element of the project is aimed at boys and girls aged 11 – 18 years old and the sessions, which are free of charge, will be held at the Milton Rooms in Malton. Any young person who is interested in taking part should contact the Milton Rooms on 01653 696240 or email development@themiltonrooms.com for more information.

"This exciting and innovative project embodies the cultural diversity in the UK and is an interesting confluence of world music in the UK-India year of culture 2017. We are all really looking forward to making a start with our musical partners," said Supriya Nagarajan, who is the Artistic Director of Manasamitra.

A performance of the work produced as a result of the project will be held at the Milton Rooms on July 15.