~~~ Welcome to Samyo ~~~

Introduction

Milapfest & our supporters

Milapfest is the UK's premier year-round South Asian arts festival and is part of the Milap Festival Trust. The festival incorporates an exciting and eclectic variety of music, dance, theatre and films, and our promotional work includes commissioning new work, supporting young and emerging artistes and addressing key issues in the sector through conferences, national networks, and other developments.

Milapfest was founded in 1985 as a weekend festival in Liverpool, and has now grown regionally and nationally, to promote and support South Asian arts.

Milapfest can offer complete festival packages to cities and regions around the world, from a single day or weekend event, to week-long or month long programmes. For a tailor-made selection of stunning South Asian music and dance events, contact Milapfest.

Milapfest’s activities include
Management of Samyo : the UK’s national South Asian Youth Orchestra

Creation & Development of Tarang : the UK’s first national South Asian Music ensemble

Hosting the first national South Asian music conference : Sangeet Sabha

Promoting music concerts in the north west : including Music for the Mind & Soul

Education & Development: supporting emerging artistes of the UK and introducing new audiences to South Asian arts

The Landmark South Asian Dance Festival : Dance Yatra

National Projects : Tours, education programme and a new South Asian music services website

Music Yatra – a series of afternoon concerts at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester”

Milapfest is now a leading South Asian arts organisation of the country that stimulates and supports excellence in the practice and promotion of South Asian Arts in the UK.

For more information, see www.milapfest.com or contact info@milapfest.com

Samyo gratefully acknowledges its major supporters, Youth Music, Musicians Benevolent Fund, PRSF, and the Dorothy Whitney Elmhirst Trust.

Samyo is one of nine organisations to benefit from the National Youth Music Organisations’ Fund administered by national charity Youth Music.

The organisation has three main roles; funder, development agency and advocate. Our aim is to establish a music-making legacy that fulfils the following key objectives:

Access - For those with least opportunity
Breadth - Music of all styles and all cultures
Coverage - Rural, urban, coastal and UK-wide
Quality - Encouraging high standards for all

( www.youthmusic.org.uk )

The Musicians Benevolent Fund is the music business's own charity - the largest in the UK, funded entirely by donations and bequests from music lovers and musicians. www.mbf.org.uk

The PRS Foundation for New Music (PRSF) is the UK's largest independent funder purely for new music of any genre. www.prsf.co.uk

The Dorothy Whitney Elmhirst Trust