BCVA artist and director Anand Chhabra was invited by Birmingham City University to take part in the India–UK Creative Industries at 75 (IUKCI 75) research project, which brought together Indian and British South Asian artists to explore new collaborative approaches to creative practice.
As part of the programme, Anand joined a strand of artists from different disciplines to experiment with how their work might develop through collaboration. Initially, it felt unusual to be placed within a group largely made up of live theatre practitioners, but the experience ultimately proved valuable. Working outside one’s own artistic discipline encouraged new ideas and perspectives, demonstrating how collaboration can expand creative possibilities.
The collaboration resulted in the short film “Migration: A Photographic Journey Through Dance.” Developed through collaborative practice, the film draws inspiration from research gathered through the Apna Heritage Archive, exploring stories of migration and the experiences of Punjabi women who travelled from India to join their husbands and settle in the UK.
The project was commissioned and coordinated through the India–UK Creative Industries at 75 initiative at Birmingham City University, led by Professor Rajinder Dudrah, and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The film was created through a collaboration between classical dancer Sangini Kumar and photographic artist Anand Chhabra, with editorial support from Ankit Maurya, Jyoti Singh and Akash Tirkey working under the banner of Team Gwah Theatre, led by Anirudh Sudhanshu.
Through dance, photography and film, the work reflects on the emotional journeys of Punjabi women whose stories were documented through the archive. Many spoke about their early experiences of migration as a mixture of hope and uncertainty. The word “Supnaa” (dream) often appeared in their reflections — describing both their hopes for the future and the challenges they encountered as they adapted to a new landscape, language and culture.
The film explores themes of migration, belonging and resilience, translating these experiences into a creative collaboration that brings together visual storytelling and classical dance.
BCVA would also like to thank ARC Music Productions International Ltd for kindly granting permission to use the background music accompanying the dance performance by Sangini Kumar, “Raag: Bilas – Khani Todi Vilambit Gat in Teental 4.4,” performed by Baluji Shrivastav.