Meera Syal & Javed Jaffrey confirmed for Alchemy 2011

An 11-day celebration of South Asian culture will be taking place at the Southbank Centre, next month.

For the second year running, Alchemy returns to the London popular hotspot for the festival of South Asian culture, with a divine weekend of sufi music, dance and poetry.

Artists confirmed for the Alchemy 2011 include actors Meera Syal and Javed Jaffrey; the return of tabla maestro Talvin Singh; legendary Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans; writers and journalists Tahmima Anam, William Dalrymple and Amit Chaudhuri; TV presenter Anita Rani: pop icon Kailash Kher and rising-star Raghu Dixit. A hard-hitting series of talks and debates explore issues thrown up by the region�۪s rapid economic growth.

Beyond the ticketed events, Alchemy extends an open invitation to all to come and enjoy the festival atmosphere at an exciting range of free events ranging from morning yoga to daytime events for children and outdoor street theatre to pre-concert dance demonstrations and performances.

Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre, said,
“The past decade has seen one of the world�۪s oldest and most fecund cultures transform into an economic superpower. There is perhaps no region more emblematic of the challenges and opportunities created by rapid economic growth than the Indian subcontinent ��� where the tensions between old and new, rural and urban, science and religion are so visible, so tangible. Southbank Centre�۪s second Alchemy festival goes deeper into South Asia�۪s traditional and contemporary cultural landscape with 11 thrilling days of music, dance, fashion and debate.”

Alchemy 2011 takes place at the Southbank Centre from 15th April to 25th April 2011.