Ankur productions 'Mehfil' night (Urdu for 'artistic gathering') brings together four superb female artists on one stage for an evening of international music, poetry and storytelling and features Palestinian singer and musician Reem Kelani (accompanied by classical and jazz pianist Bruno Heinen), Scottish Gaelic singer Catriona Watt, Iranian poet and musician Vida Kashizadeh and Bangla-English rhythm poet and storyteller, Shamim Azad.

Azad's work draws on South Asian folk and oral traditions. Her lively physical performances incorporate chants, poems, percussion and songs. One of today's leading Bangladeshi writers in Britain, Azad's many English and Bengali publications include anthologies, collections of poems, short stories and novels. She also develops oral histories and prepares inter-generational projects for publication.

ABOUT ANKUR PRODUCTIONS

Ankur Productions is a Glasgow-based organisation which aims to increase diversity within the arts sector in Scotland. Ankur's first Mehfil at Tramway in 2004 featured Jackie Kay, Liz Lochead, and leading Pakistani poet Kishwar Naheed, along with emerging Scottish-Asian poets. The Big Issue celebrated the 'real sense of joy' produced by 'an impressive international line-up', whose 'unifying subject matter was a sense of struggle'.

Ankur has also presented theatre productions of Kafka's The Trial at Tramway and Martin Crimp's Fewer Emergencies at Glasgow Citizens, and the Scotland United music event at The Arches in 2007, which brought together over 60 performers from a dozen countries in an event celebrating the wide range of musical traditions now flourishing in Scotland - everything from Asian hip-hop to Scottish Balkan jazz, Afro-Cuban to Capoeira. Scotland United 2008 will take place at the Arches on 12th June.

As well as creating professional events, Ankur runs an extensive workshop programme aimed at involving participants from Scotland's minority ethnic communities in the arts. Visit www.ankurproductions.org.uk for further information.