South Asian Heritage Month seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities. It first took place in 2020, and runs from 18th July to 17th August each year.
The purpose of the month is to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
You can find out more about South Asian Heritage Month here: southasianheritage.org.uk/about-the-south-asian-heritage-month/
Free to Be Me
Celebrating 5 years this year, the theme is 'Free to Be Me', where everyone is invited to celebrate the beauty of simply being yourself. Individuals, communities and organisations are encouraged to embrace differences in heritage and culture and truly foster inclusivity. 'Free to Be Me' will mean something different to everyone but in essence, it focuses on sharing similarities, honouring differences, and providing a platform to highlight diverse voices.
With this in mind, we're thrilled to bring you some information from the many amazing community groups across Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside who are marking South Asian Heritage Month with activities or events of their own.
Throughout the month, we'll also be bringing you some wonderful, personal stories from some of our members that highlight the richness and diversity of their South Asian Heritage...watch this space!
Rochdale Events and Activities
| Organisation | Event Information | Date/Time | Location |
| Living Well | Rochdale Town Hall will come alive with the vibrant colours, sounds, and traditions of South Asian arts and crafts, fashion, music, and acts. The event celebrates some of the work Living Well have done, and the partnerships they've created in the South Asian community. Register for your FREE tickets: eventbrite.co.uk/e/rochdale-south-asian-heritage-festival-tickets-946087141107 | Thursday 15 August 2024, 10am-12:30pm and/or 1:30pm-4pm | Rochdale Town Hall |
| KYP | Celebration of Women’s Voices through Creative Writing (Poetry) in collaboration with the Hard Pressed Heritage Project run by Commonword. | Tuesday 23 July 2024 | Kashmir Youth Project, Unique Enterprise Centre, Belfield Road, Rochdale OL16 2UP |
| KYP | Celebrating and showcasing the contributions of people from South Asia to Rochdale and wider society in collaboration with Crescent Community Radio | Tuesday 13 August 2024 |
Tameside Events and Activities
| Organisation | Event Information | Date/Time | Location |
| Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind | Community Connections Event - join TOG Mind for talks, music and demonstrations and more along with Diversity Matters North West / Active Tameside / Khush Amdid / The Red Cross Find out more: www.facebook.com/TamesideOldhamGlossopMind | Wednesday 24 July 2024, 10am | 216-218 Katherine Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7AS |
Get involved
If you are a group or organisation with South Asian culture why not use this month to share your story with the world? It is a great opportunity to celebrate and showcase the rich cultural heritage of South Asia and come together to appreciate the beautiful stories and traditions of those with South Asian heritage.
The South Asian Heritage Trust have a fabulous toolkit to help you decide on what to plan, and how to come together to celebrate. Find out more: www.southasianheritage.org.uk/events-toolkit-2023/