Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts 2021
byThe South Asian Arts Society presents the sixth annual Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts, online from August 1-31, 2021. The festival celebrates South Asian art in the world, offering a diversity of great programming options. Festival attendees will experience music and dance performance, panel discussions, a marketplace of visual art, dance classes, development workshops and more.
Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts
“In 2016, we launched the Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts to provide South Asian artists with a platform on which to showcase their creative work, and to share their talents with a broad audience,” says South Asian Arts Society Executive Director and Monsoon Festival Producer, Gurpreet Sian. “This year we’re excited to again present our festival online with a range of remarkable artists presenting and performing in some amazing music, dance, informational and participatory events – as well as a special partnership with the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective. We invite everyone to join us!”
Featured Events
Monsoon Music Night
Sunday, August 15th at 5:00pm
Experience the power of sounds from around the world – India, Africa, Japan and Cuba – all coming together as one! Join artists and groups: Des Raj, Jaswinder Raj, Rana Dholi, Kunda Culture, Uzume Taiko, and Israel “Toto” Berriel & Friends. Streamed LIVE on Monsoon’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Free.
Monsoon Talks – Artist Panel Discussion
Sunday, August 22nd at 5:00pm
Join an intimate and honest conversation about the trials, tribulations, and successes of the artistic process with the artists involved in the Murals in the Market public art project. Monsoon Festival is a community partner. Panelists are: Guntaj Deep Singh, Mustaali Raj & Minahil Bukhari, Diamond Point and Sandeep Johal with guest curator, Jas Lally. Streamed LIVE on Monsoon’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Free.
Sunday Funday Dance Lessons
On Sunday mornings in August, Monsoon presents a glorious opportunity for folks to have some fun, boost their energy, and learn some cool dance moves. These free dance lessons are led by renowned dance artists performing in a variety of styles. Online lessons via Zoom start at 9:00am. Sign-up required.
- August 1st – Bollywood Dance with Karima Essa
- August 8th – Bhangra with Vancity Dance
- August 15th – Gidha with NachiYay
- August 22nd – Song & Dance with Krystal Kiran
Workshop Wednesdays
Monsoon’s free community-based development workshops offer excellent opportunities for people to immerse themselves in the artistic process. It’s a chance to learn valuable skills from accomplished industry professionals in a variety of disciplines. Lessons conducted online via Zoom.
- August 4th – Music Review & Release Strategies with ishQ Bector
- August 11th – The Score: Sound Design & Composition for Theatre & Film with Ruby Singh
- August 18th – Freeing Your Character: Script Analysis for Actors with Adele Noronha
Murals in the Market
Where: Punjabi Market on Main St between 48th & 51st Ave, Vancouver
Murals in the Market is the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective’s initiative to help facilitate storytelling along with discussions on racism and discrimination through public art. By collaborating with local BIPOC artists, they are presenting a series of murals in the Punjabi Market. The featured artists are: Guntaj Deep Singh, Mustaali Raj & Minahil Bukhari, Diamond Point, and Sandeep Johal. Guest Curator: Jas Lally. The murals are scheduled for completion by August 10, 2021, when they will be accessible to the general public for viewing.
Monsoon Marketplace
Launching August 1st and running online until August 31st, the Monsoon Festival website hosts the work of a range of talented visual artists, each offering four works for sale. Participating artists (to date) are: Angela Aujla, Anumation, Guntaj Deep Singh, Jag Nagra, and Kiran Rai.
The welcoming of the captivating and spiritual force of the monsoon in India dates back thousands of years. Vancouver is also known for its rainfall. With the intersection of these two natural phenomena, the goal of the South Asian Arts Society is to celebrate the monsoon in the Lower Mainland through the presentation of the multidisciplinary Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts. Launched in 2016, the festival provides South Asian artists with the opportunity to experiment and present their creative work, and to share and learn from some of the most accomplished artists in the industry.
