From Om Shanti Om to It's Not About The Burqa.

Is the idea of being ‘South Asian’ made up as a response to racism? Are South Asian stories stuck in nostalgia and too rooted in Islamophobia? And why IS car insurance so expensive in Bradford?  

This week, we explore South Asian identity and theatre in the North with Abdul Shayek, Sajidah Shabir, Anjum Malik and Afshan d’Souza-Lodhi.

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A new podcast by Northern Broadsides

Hosted by Shabina Aslam & Millie Gaston

Sound Editing by Alex Colley

Produced by Hallam Breen & Jess Rooney 

This series of eights podcasts, recorded in lockdown, embraces the Northern Voice in all its glory, whether we're exploring disability, migration, class, ethnicity, accent, gender or sexuality, The Northern Voice confounds expectations of what it means to be Northern in the world of arts and culture today.

Each episode has a panel discussion hosted by Shabina Aslam, our Creative Engagement Producer, and a one-to-one interview with a Northern artist, led by local actor Millie Gaston.

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Guest Biographies

Abdul Shayek

Abdul Shayek is Artistic Director & Joint CEO of Tara Theatre.

He was the founding Artistic Director & CEO of Fio theatre company based in Cardiff. Previous to this he was Creative Associate with National Theatre Wales.

He is a member of the British Council’s Arts and Creative Economy Advisory Group, Vice Chair of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, as well as a trustee of mid-Wales dance company Impelo and No Fit State Circus.

Sajidah Shabir

Sajidah is currently an Assistant Producer for Common Wealth Theatre. A Bradford born and based Producer, she interested in how to work with communities, specifically South Asian communities to be part of Bradford’s mainstream Arts and Culture. She is an aspiring Theatre Director, captivated by the idea of making the Arts a place where more South Asian youth and people can see a place in for themselves, and use theatre to express themselves and see their stories told. 

Anjum Malik

Anjum Malik is a poet, script writer performer and filmmaker, she is also a senior lecturer in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She writes drama regularly for BBC, ITV and independent companies. She is also a creative writing tutor for leading literary organisations in UK and overseas. Anjum is inspired by food, real stories for her poetry. She also specialises in working with hard to reach, not normally seen groups and communities. 

afshan d’souza-lodhi 

Afshan was born in Dubai and bred in Manchester. She is a writer of scripts and poetry and was recently commissioned to write and direct a short film for Channel 4 (An Act of Terror) and a radio play for BBC Sounds (Chop Chop). 

afshan is currently a Sky Writes writer-in-residence for Rotherham, a partnership between Sky Studios and New Writing North. She is also currently developing a TV series with Sky Studios. afshan has edited many anthologies and has an essay featured in Picador’s collection by Muslim women called Its Not About The Burqa. 

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