Oldham Coliseum launches a new festival later this month - Khushi 2022.
The event – the title is a Hindi word for joy and delight - will showcase work produced by the town's South Asian communities and includes exhibitions, performances and even a conversation with Oldham's acting star, Shobna Gulati,
Through a series of projects that bring artists and communities together, Khushi (August 24, 25 & 27), will take over the Coliseum, Oldham Library and Parliament Square to offer a free mix of Khushi events for everyone.
Unticketed attractions include a pop-up Manchester Museum exhibition at Oldham Library (August 24 & 25, 10am-5pm), which details plans for a major expansion to one of the city's finest buildings, in particular a new South Asia gallery; a Manchester International Festival Factory Roadshow (Library, Aug 24, 10am-5pm), which shows off the city's new culture and arts venue, and Dhol Drillaz (Parliament Square, Aug 24,1pm-2pm) - energising live entertainment from high-octane drummers. There's also a welcome chance to Eat Together (Coliseum stalls bar, all three days, 1-2pm and 6-7pm - free food).
Free events for which tickets are required include a Bollywood Masala Workshop (learn and perform a Bollywood dance routine); From Bangladesh to Oldham - a performance celebrating Bengali culture, music and movement (women and children only); a Circus Skills Workshop at which you can try ribbon twirling, hula hoop spinning and more; Safar Jindagi Ka/Journey of Life - a story spanning the life of a couple featuring Bollywood songs from the 1950s to the present; Log Kya Kehengey/What Will People Say? - a performance by a women's group about the journey of a young woman from Pakistan to Oldham, and how she adjusts to her new life. The festival has many more events, from dance to spoken-word performance, over its short run.
Former star of dinnerladies, Coronation Street and much more on TV, as well as theatre productions such as the recent Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Shobna Gulati will be at the Coliseum to chat about her career on August 24. Like the events already mentioned, the event is free.
Find out full details of all the attractions of Khushi and surrounding cultural events here