Wandsworth Council celebrates South Asian Heritage Month from 1 to 31 July 2026 with a programme of community-focused, cultural, arts and heritage-based activities and events.
Building on last year’s success, Wandsworth’s South Asian Heritage Month programme returns with ten new community-focused, South Asian led project grants for 2026.
The call-out was for project ideas that would encourage residents of South Asian heritage to engage in cultural activity that would be meaningful and relevant to them, as well as allow the wider community to better understand the histories of fellow residents, colleagues and students making a positive difference in shaping Wandsworth - and be inspired by them. Artists of South Asian heritage and/or South Asian-led organisations were particularly encouraged to apply, as part of a wider invitation to contribute to the cultural agenda of the borough.
Each of the five commissions have received up to £2,000 to develop and deliver their ideas for the South Asian Heritage Month 2026.
What’s On: Wandsworth’s South Asian Heritage Month 2026
Heritage Harmony
Heritage Harmony brings the community together to celebrate South Asian culture through calligraphy, poetry, music, henna, food, and cultural crafts in interactive, participatory workshops and stalls. This will be a lively, inclusive celebration of South Asian culture for the Winstanley and York Road Estates community. The event will offer something for everyone, with activities designed for children, young people, adults, and elders alike.
Residents will be able to take part in hands-on workshops, including a free doll-making workshop for children, a calligraphy workshop exploring traditional scripts, and a henna stall where participants can enjoy traditional designs. There will also be cultural stalls and exhibitions, including a food stall serving authentic South Asian dishes and a cultural clothing stall showcasing traditional attire. An art exhibition will display creative work by women from the Winstanley and York Road Estates, while music and performances will bring the event to life.
“Heritage Harmony is about bringing people together through culture, creativity, and shared experiences. We are proud to create a welcoming space where residents of all ages can celebrate South Asian heritage, learn new skills, and build stronger community connections through art, music, storytelling, and participation.” — Fozia Riaz
More information: www.happyhomescommunity.org.uk
Socials: @happy_homes_fozia
Puppets to Tradition
Learn 2,000-year-old Keralan shadow puppetry with artist and designer Rose Antony Alapatt. Explore queer feminist identity, carve iconography, and make your own puppet!
Tholpavakoothu is a ritualistic form of shadow puppetry performed in temples dedicated to Goddess Kali in Kerala. It is practiced by the Pulavars, the only surviving puppetry community in Kerala, who preserve the art form and train new artists.
Rose uses these traditional puppets as a canvas to tell stories of resilience and liberation. Guided by Rose, participants will choose a traditional classical character to reproduce in paper form, carving out traditional symbols and learning about the language of mudras and iconography to create a beautiful puppet to take home.
“Tholpavakoothu has always been a medium for epic storytelling, but through this workshop we are using its intricate iconography to map out new stories of resilience and queer identity. Participants are invited to carve out their own narratives, challenging traditional boundaries and creating a beautiful, living dialogue about gender roles, liberating themselves from being ‘puppets’ to tradition.” — Rose Antony Alapatt, Lead Artist and Designer
- 18 July – Battersea Library
- 25 July - Balham Library
More information: Free entry and no booking required for performances. To take part in paid workshop, pay and sign up via: studiorawkochi@gmail.com
Socials: @studiorawkochi
Retracing Our Footsteps - Child of the Divide workshops and reading
Bhuchar Boulevard’s Retracing Our Footsteps project presents a free workshop and reading of Sudha Bhuchar’s seminal play, Child of the Divide, as part of Wandsworth’s South Asian Heritage Month.
Child of the Divide is set during the Partition of India, exploring themes of loss, identity, and belonging through the eyes of a child. The Retracing Our Footsteps project aims to amplify awareness of plays from the South Asian canon that have made a significant contribution to the UK cultural landscape. The reading will be directed by Kristine Landon-Smith.
“Bhuchar Boulevard is delighted to have this opportunity to showcase my seminal play, Child of the Divide, as part of Wandsworth Borough’s South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM).” — Sudha Bhuchar, Artistic Director, Bhuchar Boulevard, and writer of Child of the Divide
- Drop-in workshop - 6 July – 6pm – 9pm - ROSE Clubroom, Battersea, SW8 4DL
- Performance and panel - 16 July - 6pm - 9pm - ROSE Clubroom, Battersea, SW8 4DL
More information: https://www.bhucharboulevard.com/child-of-the-divide
Socials: @BhucharBoulevard
Saree Stories: Making mini sarees, unfolding stories
Saree Stories: Making Mini Sarees – Unfolding Stories is a participatory South Asian Heritage Month project exploring the heritage, craft, and personal stories carried through the saree. Participants will create mini sarees while exploring the heritage, craft, memories, and journeys held within this garment.
Participants will be invited to handle, discuss, and respond to sarees as objects of memory, migration, family history, and cultural identity. Each session will include a short storytelling element, introducing the different ways a saree can hold meaning: from journeys across countries, to garments passed through generations, to craft traditions rooted in particular regions and communities. Participants will then create their own mini sarees using accessible materials, exploring pattern, colour, and surface decoration.
“Saree Stories brings together heritage, storytelling, and hands-on creativity in a way that feels accessible and welcoming. I’m excited to work with communities across Wandsworth to explore how the saree carries histories of place, family, craft, and identity.” — Roopa Basu, Lead Artist, Saree Stories
- 10 July - 3pm - 4.15pm - Alton Arts Hub, Roehampton, SW15 4ED
- 15 July - 10.30am - 12.30pm - Kambala Community Hall, SW11 2LQ
- 20 July – 3pm - 4pm - Sound Minds, SW11 3QA
Socials: @roopadesign
Sikh & Explore Heritage
Explore local and national Sikh heritage through a series of fun and creative sessions curated by artist PiNS at Sikh Gurdwara South London. Join renowned Sikh artist PiNS (Bhupinder Singh) and take part in creative sessions for local audiences of all ages, designed to foster an open and inclusive environment—an invigorating space to connect, heal, and nourish through creativity.
These sessions will offer the community an opportunity to respond creatively to “Local Sikh Heritage” through visual art, creative writing, music, and sports activities. As the venue is a Sikh Gurdwara, a place of worship, protocols will be in place for all visitors.
“We are very excited to bring this innovative and interactive arts project on local Sikh heritage to Wandsworth in partnership with renowned local artist PiNS from our Sikh community.” — Harcharan Singh Sihra, Trustee, Sikh Gurdwara South London
- 11/25 July, 1/8 August - 4.30pm - 6.30pm - Sikh Gurdwara South London, SW18 5SP
Socials: @PiNS_Artist / @sikhsgsl
Recipes of Home: South Asian Food Heritage from Winstanley & York Road
This participatory heritage project gathers South Asian recipes, food memories, and kitchen stories from Wandsworth residents through creative workshops, culminating in a community-authored printed zine and a public sharing in Battersea.
Led by Devanshi Rungta, a South Asian heritage practitioner and curator, the project will collect personal food stories, handwritten recipes, ingredient memories, family traditions, and everyday kitchen knowledge that form part of Wandsworth’s living South Asian heritage.
The workshops will centre on storytelling, recipe sharing, food tasting, spice exploration, conversation, and hands-on zine page-making. The zine will then be distributed free of charge across libraries, community venues, and partner organisations in the borough.
- Workshops taking place across July 2026 and zine distributed during August 2026
Voices of Wandsworth: South Asian Poetry, Heritage & Community Gathering
This will be a live, participatory South Asian heritage event, led by South Asian creatives at Archest Lane Theatre, using poetry, oral history, and live audience data to reflect and connect the diverse identities of Wandsworth residents. The project aims to bring together residents of Wandsworth to share and reflect on their cultural identities through poetry, storytelling, and collective dialogue.
The programme centres on intergenerational storytelling, as well as poetry as a living South Asian art form, with a particular focus on the ghazal. Through guided audience participation, attendees will contribute to the development of a shared poetic structure, followed by live performances combining spoken word and music.
Spinning Heritage (History of Charkha)
The charkha is an ancient Indian spinning wheel that likely originated between 500 and 1000 A.D. and is used to spin fine thread from fibre. This intergenerational project includes interviews, workshops, talks, exhibitions, and performances showcasing traditional spinning techniques and the charkha’s cultural importance.
The project aims to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month by exploring the charkha’s significance in India’s independence movement, while fostering cultural pride, intergenerational connections, community cohesion, and education about South Asian heritage.
- Workshop - 30 June - Manresa Club, SW15 4LY
- Workshop - 7 July - Manresa Club, SW15 4LY
- Celebration - 13 July - Focus Hall, Minstead garden, SW15 4ER
More information: Asmashahid99@hotmail.co.uk
Moving Stories: Exploring South Asian Stories through Movement
An eight-week creative health programme for older South Asian residents in Wandsworth, combining storytelling, music, and accessible movement inspired by South Asian traditions. This programme invites participants to explore memory, storytelling, and movement together in a welcoming group setting.
Through conversation, music, photographs, and personal objects, participants will share stories from different stages of their lives—from family and celebrations to migration, community, and home. Working with a movement facilitator, these memories will be translated into accessible movement inspired by South Asian traditions, including Bollywood, folk, and classical forms. The programme will also create an oral history archive of stories, memories, and songs that celebrate South Asian lived experience in Wandsworth.
“We’re really happy to be creating this project with older South Asian residents in Wandsworth. It’s about coming together through stories, music, and shared movement. We hope to see more connection, recognition, and shared moments of joy through movement and storytelling.” — Aditi Kaushiva, Movement Facilitator
- 22 July, 5/19 August, 2/16/30 September, 14/28 October - 14.00 – 15.30pm - Wandsworth Asian Women’s Association, Mantle Court, Mapleton Road, London SW18 4AU
More information: https://www.move-to-thrive.com/
Socials: @move_to_thrive
The Doddington and Rollo South Asian Heritage Project
Join a vibrant series of South Asian events featuring embroidery workshops, as well as Pakistani, Afghani, and Mauritian cooking demonstrations. The programme culminates in a free South Asian festival hosted by Riverside Radio, which will include South Asian street food, intergenerational storytelling, games, a Bhangra dance performance, South Asian music, and an exhibition of participants’ embroidery in the Square on the Doddington and Rollo Estate.
- Embroidery Workshops – 1/8/14/21 July - 11am – 1pm - Cromwell Community Hub, SW11 5JA
- South Asian Street Food Cooking Demos – 21/22/23 July - 11.30am - 12.30pm - Cromwell Community Hub, SW11 5JA
- South Asian Festival – 24 July – 12pm – 3pm - Doddington & Rollo Estate Square
More information: info@livingtruth.org.uk
Socials: @vibesxlivingtruth