Global Rainbow, Yvette Mattern,
rooftop installation at Peepul Centre
Leicester City Diwali and Bonfire Night 2021.
Photograph: G Sian
Peepul Centre launches Peepul Culture to deliver social value from the arts to Leicester’s diverse communities
A fresh new era begins this summer at Peepul Centre on Orchardson Avenue in Leicester. This new phase in the centre’s legacy is centred on the mutual benefit and social value that the arts bring to the lives of all, especially those of the local community in Belgrave, St Matthews and surrounding areas.
Funded by Arts Council England and facilitated by Inspirate, a leading Arts and Cultural Development Agency in the city, the Peepul Centre has appointed a new Cultural Programmer, Gurdeep Sian, a.k.a “G”, to devise a unique arts and culture proposition which supports the development of local unrepresented artists and makers.
G Sian
Peepul Centre Cultural Programmer
Photograph: Kulvir Bhambra
G is a uniquely qualified, highly respected professional in the arts sector with 25 years of experience across the sector. As former Associate Director at Attenborough Arts Centre and Arts Council Funded ChangeMaker, G is noted for Directing and Producing the prodigious DeStressFest. This proposition has been designed as a catalyst to stimulate and reinvigorate the Peepul Centre’s long-standing purpose to be a beacon for diverse and inclusive arts in Leicester and beyond.
Peepul Culture
As part of this new arts and cultural programming, comes the birth of ‘Peepul Culture’ which encompasses the variety of arts, culture and social activities that are provided at the centre. Central to the ethos of Peepul Culture is to provide a dedicated platform to promote emerging and recently established artists to showcase their art and creative ideas.
Open Call Announcement
To facilitate the launch of the new Peepul Culture programme, and in the spirit of its intended purpose, G invites proposals of previously un-exhibited work from first-time public exhibitors and established artists for a curated Open Call. The proposals must have relevance to:
– the public and communities of Leicester,
– South-Asian subcontinent and its diaspora cultures,
– global dynamics and futures.
Further information about the Open Call criteria and submission process can be found here.
G Sian, Cultural Programmer for Peepul Centre, said:
“I have been dedicated to the arts ecology of this city for most of my life and across all artforms – now I have a building to assemble my vision for the rich resources of what this city has always been stirring to express. The Peepul Culture Open Call for Submissions is the tip of an ‘artsberg’ that I am preparing.
“There is a place for everything and Peepul Centre is a stunning space in which to cultivate a vast variety of cultural potential. The staff, directors and trustees have warmly and delightfully welcomed me to freely explore and develop what I intend to be a rich, intensive and playful programme, and to nourish afresh this relevant branch of our arts ecology.”
Jiten Anand, Executive Director for Inspirate, said:
“The Peepul Centre is one of the most valuable cultural assets this city has, and it’s been an honour to work on their organisational development. We’ve been looking at the ways in which the venue can open its doors to the communities and propel itself in the new and exciting era of Leicester’s cultural sector. The Peepul Centre holds a lot of ambition not only for the south Asian communities and the communities of Belgrave and St Matthews, but for the whole city.”
Nash Chhatralia, Director of Business Development for Peepul Centre, said:
“The relaunch of Peepul Culture driven by our pioneering Cultural Programmer G will put Peepul Centre back on the map in Leicester. We are excited to provide a platform that provides a springboard for artists and creators as well as engaging and entertaining activities for our local communities and audiences.”
