Top 5: #NewNorthSouth performing arts events ft. Nitin Sawhney & Raghu Dixit

#NewNorthSouth sees Manchester’s cultural venues are hosting a springtime series of events to celebrate links between the performing arts of the global north and south. There are shows to sit back and enjoy, as well as hands-on workshop and immersive audience experiences. Spanning three months, the programme arrives as part of the three-year New North and South cultural exchange between eleven organisations based in the North of England and South Asia. The scope of talent scheduled makes the task of picking out five highlights an unenviable one, so be sure to scour the full #NewNorthSouth programme.

Mindful Marks
A workshop and performances that combines the sonic ambiance of Akash Parekh’s sitar and Kousic Sen’s tabla for a participatory exploration of movement and sound. Both players can call on extensive touring that has honed contemporary interpretations of Indian classical styles and seek to inspire shape-making responses from their audience.
Thu 8 Feb, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL, Tel: 0161 235 8888, 4.30pm, FREE, www.bandonthewall.org

Nitin Sawhney’s ‘India and Me’ (pictured)
The wide-ranging musical career of London-born British Indian Nitin Sawhney will be familiar to UK audiences for his mastery of a breadth of genres, from jazz to trip hop, and cinematic compositions. India and Me channels all of these experiences into an acclaimed show, also featuring Aref Durvesh on tabla and Eva Stone on vocals.
Sat 17 Feb, RNCM, 124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RD, Tel: 0161 907 5200, 7pm, £22.50-£27.50, www.bandonthewall.org

Raghu Dixit
Singer-songwriter Raghu Dixit had made waves for traditional Indian folk music by updating it in his upbeat, pop-tinged tones for audiences across the globe. He arrives in Manchester having counted Glastonbury, Jools Holland and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee among his past concerts.
Sun 18 Mar, Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JZ, Tel: 0161 834 1786, 6.30pm, £18-£22, www.bandonthewall.org

Discover India Day
Manchester Museum brings its current #NewNorthSouth exhibitions to life by hosting a day of children’s workshops in collaboration with Milapfest, who present workshops around the themes of Indian festivals. This one brings to life the secrets of Hindustani and Carnatic percussion, Indian classical dance, Rangoli art and storytelling.
Mon 19 Mar, Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, Tel: 0161 275 2648, 9.30am, FREE, www.bandonthewall.org

Music for the Mind and Soul
The flowing guile of creative polymath Shreya Devnath’s violin leads a quartet through the intricacies of Indian melodies. She’ll be joined by a trio of percussionists, intertwining the rhythmic subtleties of mridangam, tabla and kanjira.
Sun 25 Mar, Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS, Tel: 0161 907 9000, 12.30pm, £12-£14, www.bandonthewall.org