VIRSA – A celebration of South Asian Heritage Month 2022

Posted on Jul 13, 2022 Updated on Jul 13, 2022

Calderdale’s South Asian Heritage Festival begins with a Weekend of Celebration at Square Chapel Arts Centre and The Piece Hall.

The festival, commissioned by Calderdale Council, promises a month of events and activities to celebrate the long and rich history of British Asians and the positive impact they have within the borough. It will bring together leading British Pakistani and Indian writers and performers plus local businesses and community groups at venues across Calderdale.

Download Flyer here

The Piece Hall

The Piece Hall event begins at midday and will feature Indian drumming, henna painting, calligraphy arts, face painting, antique Pakistani jewellery, handmade bags and free, fun, family activities in the main courtyard. There will also be music and writing workshops and performance events at Square Chapel Arts Centre over that weekend. All activities are FREE! And there will be a real community market feel in the courtyard … a chance to celebrate the friendship and generosity of South Asian culture …

Square Chapel Arts Centre

Brilliant FREE workshops for women and girls, not just of South Asian heritage. This is an invitation to all women interested in culture, identity, sense of place and empowerment.

Booking is essential. You can book workshops and events at Square Chapel Arts Centre here: squarechapel.co.uk/whats-on/

Saturday 16th July @ 1.30 pm
” I Belong Here ” – Talk & Writing Workshop with Award Winning author Anita Sethi
A two-hour session with Anita Sethi. Short talk after which Anita will explore themes of place, nature, journeying – both geographical and emotional journeys – and how nature and writing can bring a sense of belonging.

Saturday 16th July @ 4 pm
Into the Wilds – New South Asian Writing
Fox & Windmill is the UK’s first independent book publishing company for British South Asian writers. They are dedicated to bridging the gap in the industry for writers from underrepresented backgrounds and sharing their unique stories and perspectives.

Sunday 17th July @ 2pm

Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan Free Workshop & Performance Event
Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan is a writer, poet and educator disrupting understandings of history, race, knowledge and violence. In 2019 she published Postcolonial Banter, an anthology of poetry critiquing racism, Islamophobia and notions of national identity. The collection includes poems which have had millions of online views and been featured across TV and radio.

Saturday July 23rd
Square Chapel will host a screening of acclaimed film ‘Lakeer’ followed by a Q&A with the film’s producer

Victoria Theatre

Saturday July 23rd – South Asian Comedy Club

Comedy club with some of the best South Asian comedians on the comedy circuit.

Calderdale’s museums and libraries will feature a number of displays and events to complement the celebrations.

This is an opportunity for all communities to come together and share the best South Asian culture has to offer – please let your friends and colleagues know and help make this a regular feature of Calderdale’s Cultural Calendar!

The full programme of events and activities can be found at:

issuu.com/verddegris/docs/programme