According to UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, British South Asian communities currently have the lowest UK arts participation rates of all surveyed ethnicities.
In our experience, this is at least partly due to a lack of representation in the professional spheres which generate artistic output.
Whilst on the surface smartphones and other technological advances have normalised photography, filmmaking and digital journalism for younger generations, the absence of visible role models reinforces negative community perceptions regarding the achievability of, financial viability of and access to arts-based careers.
Additionally, as the majority of galleries, theatres and art spaces are situated in city centres, COVID-related restrictions and the disproportionate health impact upon Asian, black and other minorities have exacerbated the already low Asian engagement with mainstream arts.
The DESIblitz Truck Art Bus takes art(s) directly into communities, playing a valuable role in addressing inequality of access whilst providing DESIblitz and other organisations a platform upon which to build participation.
At the same time, the bus provides exposure for British South Asian authors and artists to build their profiles within the community and support their career development.
Haider Ali the world-renowned professional truck artist from Pakistan was commissioned by DESIblitz in July 2022 to decorate a ex-National Express minibus into the traditional Punjabi ‘Truck Art’ style buses of India and Pakistan.
The hand-painted decoration by Haider Ali, supported by the DESIblitz team took place in many parts of the Birmingham city centre providing passersby an opportunity to see the artist at work. Including outside the Ikon Gallery and Aston University.
This one-of-its-kind bus and artwork have been produced with highly effective visuals, personalising the bus to reflect the South Asian experience on wheels, for use by DESIblitz and other organisations across the UK to drastically improve British Asian community engagement in the arts.
The bus project aims to increase the influence and awareness of South Asian arts to communities from all different backgrounds and expand on how the various art forms have a strong connection with the fabric of British society as a whole.
DESIblitz has curated a number of special onboard educational exhibitions which utilise the DESIblitz Truck Art Bus as the platform to deliver them. These include the following but this experience can be tailored to meet your individual needs or organisational needs.
These diverse exhibitions and others are available for booking with the bus, providing tremendous insights into South Asian history and culture packaged in a visual and educational format.
The exhibitions have already been delivered in many schools and educational establishments.
With its unique presence, the DESIblitz Truck Arts Bus always attracts a lot of interest and is a perfect fit for public or private events, functions, targeted marketing, publicity and community campaigns.
To book the bus for your requirement, please fill out the form below.
OR Call us: (+44)(0)121 285 5288 or (+44)(0)7827 914593.