Ballymena to host an Indian culture event

A new exhibition, Sanskriti, has been launched with the aim of sharing the memories, experiences and cultural traditions of the Indian community in Northern Ireland.

From left, Mayor, Cllr Audrey Wales MBE, Nisha Tandon, Director of Artsekta and Tony McCusker, Heritage Lottery Fund

‘Sanskriti’ which means ‘cultivating’ in the Hindi language is a three-year heritage engagement project, undertaken by Artsekta and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Rayne Foundation.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE, said the exhibition is the culmination of work with local communities.

Launching the exhibition, she said: “Sanskriti seeks to showcase a range of cultural traditions through artworks and artefacts relating to the project themes of migration, trade and rites of passage.

“Oral histories recorded during the project highlight the difficulties faced by some but also the humorous accounts of adapting to local life in Northern Ireland,” she said.

The exhibition will feature the personal stories of people who came from India in recent decades to make homes in Northern Ireland as well as recalling stories of those who journeyed to India to work in the textiles, tea and engineering industries.

Cllr Wales continued: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is delighted to be able to host this exhibition at Mid-Antrim Museum which celebrates the vibrant and historic cultural heritage of India and its local connections.”

The exhibition will run until Saturday 22 October in the Studio Theatre at The Braid, Ballymena, Mon–Fri, 10am-5pm and Sat 10am-4pm. Admission is free.

For further information contact 028 256 35029.