By Amna Akram
Milap is an international Indian Arts and Culture Company, with its roots starting in Liverpool from the 1980’s to provide meaningful cultural activities.
The ‘Indian Cultural Evenings’ founded by Dr Prashant Nayak, enhanced friendships, understanding and similar interests, between the Host community and people of South Asian origin who made their home in Britain.
Over the 35 years, Milap has grown to accommodate vast audiences who have an interest in Indian Arts by incorporating music, dance, films, and visual arts through enchanting live performances.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, human interactions were limited which meant the arts organisation had to move its programmes online, although 2022 was and is the year normality resumed.
In April the ‘Music for the Mind & Soul’ concert series made a return to The Capstone Theatre for live audiences to have a good time and socialise again.
The concert series began in 1991 and through the decades has featured renowned stars, emerging musicians of the Indian diaspora, and the next generation of British talent.
Milap’s current Autumn 2022 programme has been gaining traction for its show-stopping line up of Indian Arts and Culture.
The programme explores the blending of British and Indian culture, and the ground-breaking relationships, possibilities, and masterful art and music that is created when the two collide in harmony.
The anticipated launch kicked off last week on 5 October at the Tung Auditorium with the talented North Indian classical singer, Prabhat Rao, who has also been a lead vocalist for the UK’s National Indian Classical Ensemble “Tarang”.
The autumn series will come to an end with a show-stopping musical extravaganza from Mercury prize winner Talvin Singh OBE on 18 November at the same venue of the launch forming a full circle.
Pravinder Singh, Head of Programmes and Planning at Milap, said:
“For us at Milap one of the great opportunities is that we get to present some amazing musicians. The musicians who we are presenting in this particular series are what we call the future talks or generation next artists of Indian music and dance.”
He continued: “I’m hoping for audiences to come, sit back, relax and be in a safe environment and interact with not just the artists on stage, but other audience members to share their experiences and thoughts and hopefully love of Indian music and dance.”
To find out more about the music genres explored, artists involved and the several shows running till November, check out our Milap Autumn 2022 programme feature.