Abdul Shayek is the new Artistic Director & Joint CEO of Tara Arts - New Asian Post

Abdul Shayek is the new
Artistic Director & Joint CEO
of Tara Arts
Tara Arts’ Board of Trustees today announced the appointment
of Abdul Shayek as the new Artistic Director & Joint CEO.
Under Shayek’s artistic leadership Tara Arts will be a world
class creative voice for the largest minority group in the UK.
Platforming a blend of new and old voices, supporting emerging
and established artists. Presenting traditional and innovative
new forms of performance which will be accessible to all.
Shayek’s focus in the coming weeks will be meeting the local
Wandsworth community, listening to the needs of artists and
establishing a space for debate and action to address the
burning issues of our day.

His first piece of work, A Final Farewell, will explore how
the people of Wandsworth say a proper goodbye to loved ones
lost during COVID 19. Audiences will hear the stories of
members of their communities, whilst tracing their steps on
journeys across the borough. The event will culminate in a
celebratory finale at Tara each night.

During Autumn 2020 Abdul is inviting residents to come and
join him on walks across Wandsworth to share stories and
places of interest. He is inviting artists to join the
company’s online forum Tea with Tara as a space to listen to
their needs post pandemic, with a particular focus on
supporting South Asian artists.

He is inviting leading thinkers, artists and community leaders
to explore urgent global questions around race, climate
emergency and class in a series of curated panel discussions.
The first of these will be a direct response to the Black
Lives Matter movement.

Abdul Shayek, said: “Tara Arts was born in response to the
racist murder of a young man. Over 40 years later, in response
to yet another murder, we find ourselves asking the same
questions about our society, both here in the UK and across
the world. Historic injustices and the distorting of
narratives have led us to a point of unequivocal consensus on
the need for change.

As we move into this next chapter, Tara Arts will honour what
came before, whilst throwing ourselves into the future and
opening our doors wide. We will listen to those who have been
affected most by this current crisis to tell us how best we
can serve them. We understand our sector and society is in the
midst of challenging times. We will rise to this challenge. We
will seize this moment of opportunity to listen to the needs
of our sector, our community, our audiences, our artists and
we will support and nourish them.

We will serve our local, national and global communities,
develop new audiences through the work we make, challenge what
theatre can be, who is making it and most importantly who has
access to it. Now is the time for change.”

Helen Jeffreys, Executive Director and Joint CEO said: “On
behalf of the entire Tara Arts team, I am delighted to welcome
Abdul Shayek as our new Artistic Director and Joint CEO. I am
hugely excited to begin working with him. With Abdul’s
exceptional vision, experience, artistic talent and energy we
will bring about change, serve our artists, audiences and
communities and build a bright future for Tara Arts.”

About Abdul Shayek

Abdul Shayek is the founding Artistic Director & CEO of Fio.
Fio is an international theatre company based in Cardiff and
is the only Asian, Black and ethnically diverse led theatre
company in Wales. Abdul has directed the following Fio touring
productions ‘Swarm’, a site-specific show about migration,

Katori Hall’s ‘The Mountaintop’, ‘Death and the Maiden’ by
Ariel Dorfman, and Athol Fugard’s ‘The Island’ which toured
across the UK. He is currently working as director and
dramaturg in Fio’s stage adaptation of ‘The Orchard of Lost
Souls’ a novel about women and the Somali civil war, which
will tour across Wales. He is also developing a Virtual
Reality project with Bangladeshi women, as well as working on
transferring a musical celebrating the life of Marcus Garvey
from Jamaica to the UK.

Over the summer of 2019, Abdul worked on ‘Orpheus in the
Underworld’ at English National Opera with Emma Rice. He will
be working with Welsh National Opera on a new project in
response to COVID 19 and will also be Associate Director on
their new opera ‘Migrations’ directed by David Poutney and
composed by Will Todd.

He was associate director to John McGrath on Lemn Sissay’s
Channel 4 documentary ‘Superkids- Breaking Away From Care’. He
is a former Creative Associate of National Theatre Wales where
he oversaw the companies research and development strand and
delivered the ‘Assembly’ programme (a series of performance
debate events) across Wales and beyond, with the final event
taking place at the New National Theatre Tokyo in Japan.

Abdul is a Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow (2013-14) during
which he spent time at Film4 and M&C Saatchi. He is a member
of the British Council’s Arts and Creative Economy Advisory
Group, vice chair of the National Alliance for Arts in the
Criminal Justice System, as well as being a trustee of mid-
wales dance company Impelo and No Fit State Circus. He has
also worked as a business consultant for a range of companies
including Young Identity, a new theatre design school and
various others.

He has worked with a range of other organisations including
Contact Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, RSC, the
National and the Almeida. Internationally he has worked across

Europe, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He
is a visiting lecturer at the University of East London and
has guest lectured at a host of other institutions.

About Tara Arts

Tara Arts: Founded in 1977, Tara Arts and its award-winning
theatre in Wandsworth, was the first Asian, Black and
ethnically diverse led theatre company in the UK. To this day
it is the only such company which has its own building. Tara
Arts has delivered numerous world class productions, worked
with a range of partners, from the grassroots to cultural
powerhouses. In its work it has endeavoured to challenge the
status quo, support and develop artists with a particular
focus on those of South Asian heritage.

For further information visit https://www.tara-arts.com/

Special Eid Ul Adha message
from South Asian celebrities
A special video released on 30th July 2020 features prominent
British Muslims looking forward to celebrating Eid once again
with their loved ones. The video features actor Adil Ray,
celebrity chefs Asma Khan and Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, music
producer Naughty Boy, comedians Nabil Abdulrashid, Humza
Arshad and Islah Abdur Rahman, fashion and beauty blogger
Eniyah Rana, actor Abdullah Afzal and more.

Given the ongoing national health crisis, and the
disproportionate effect that the Coronavirus has had on Black,
Asian and minority ethnic communities, this year Eid-ul-Adha
will be celebrated with care and caution, adhering to current

health guidelines. In order to protect family, friends,
neighbours and the wider community, the special video
encourages social distancing measures and for ongoing support
of the NHS services.

Actor, Writer & Broadcaster Adil Ray OBE, said:

“Of course, the Muslim community isn’t the only community that
needs to act responsibly, we all do. From those packing out
pubs or ignoring travel advice. However with Eid imminent and
the higher risk factor to some South Asian people, a few of us
thought that reminding everyone of the messages can be no bad
thing. When this is all over, and one day it will be, we will
all look back and ask what did we do to help. We’re looking
forward to enjoying Eid but putting our own health and others
wellbeing first.”

A full list of contributors, in order of appearance:

Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, chef and BBC Masterchef winner
Abdullah Afzal, actor and comedian
Eniyah Rana, beauty and fashion influencer
Nabil Abdulrashid, comedian and Britain’s Got Talent finalist
Dr Samara Afzal
Humza Arshad, actor and comedian
Nishat Monsur, singer and songwriter
Sumayya Usmani, cookbook author
Moin Younis, Pride of Britain winner
Islah Abdur Rahman, actor, writer and comedian
Omar Farooqui, consultant physician, Barking, Havering and
Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Asma Khan, chef, restauranter and author
Naughty Boy, music producer
Adil Ray OBE, actor, writer and broadcaster

ZEE5 Global announces the
launch ‘Churails’ from 11th
August 2020
ZEE5 Global announces the launch of the first Zindagi
original, Churails streaming from 11th August onwards. The
show aims to challenge the hypocrisy of patriarchal societies
that vanquish women and their rights.

Directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker, Asim Abbasi,
Churails brings together a talented cast led by Sarwat Gilani
Mirza, Nimra Bucha, Mehar Bano and Yasra Rizvi for this power-
packed narrative.

Churails narrates the story of four self-proclaimed Churails
who come together to open a covert detective agency to expose
cheating husbands amongst the city’s elite. As their
operations expand, they come to be saviours of abused,
harassed and mistreated women. The gripping and fast-paced
storyline covers myriad issues such as child abuse, sexism,
domination of class and race.

Director Asim Abbasi says “Zindagi’s commitment to truly
original content that has a voice and can transcend borders,
has provided me with the perfect platform to create a show
like Churails. A story about strong women, embarking on a
journey of self-discovery, empowerment and sisterhood, I
believe Churails is a timely show with pertinent themes that
will resonate with audiences globally.”

Zindagi, launched earlier in India, had built a legacy of
itself for presenting stories that are strong, powerful yet

relatable. Now launched on ZEE5 Global, the largest streaming
platform for South Asians across the globe, the brand’s first
original series promises to take this legacy forward. The show
comes with a larger purpose of encouraging dialogue on the
stigmas associated with strong and empowered women.

“Shows on Zindagi have always been unconventional, real and
impactful, I am excited for the audiences’ reaction to the
show. There is an increasing need for women’s voices to be
heard, and not stereotype fierce women for their strength, or
patronize them for their insecurities. Churails is bold,
vulnerable and empowering all at the same time. We couldn’t be
more proud of Churails being Zindagi’s first original offering
and streaming on a global platform like ZEE5“, signs off
Shailja Kejriwal, Chief Creative Officer – Special Projects,
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

Churails will stream on ZEE5 from 11th August 2020 onwards.

About ZEE5 Global

With over 1,00,000 hours of Indian TV Shows, Movies, News and
Videos, ZEE5 offers the largest bouquet of content across 18
languages to South Asian audiences across the globe. ZEE5 also
offers 60+ popular Live TV channels, including ZEE’s best
loved channels. ZEE5 is available on Google Play Store, iOS
App Store, www.ZEE5.com as well as on Samsung Smart TVs, Apple
TV, Android TVs, Roku devices and Amazon Fire TV.

UK and India agree to deeper

trading relationship
On 24th July 2020,   the UK and India held the 14th Joint
Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), to discuss to discuss
how to deepen the trading relationship, which has been
supporting over half a million jobs in each other’s economies.
The UK’s International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and India’s
Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal
agreed to explore opportunities for expanding and deepening
our trade relationship. This will include an Enhanced Trade
Partnership as the first step on a wider roadmap for a deeper
trade partnership, and subject to progress could lead to a
future Free Trade Agreement.

The UK’s International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena also
raised the ambition to remove barriers for businesses across a
range of sectors including food and drink, healthcare and life
sciences, IT and data, chemicals and services.

Work has been underway to reduce barriers to trade since both
countries completed a Joint Trade Review in 2018, and
according to industry estimates, progress to date could
deliver up to a £250 million annual boost for British
businesses. This includes recognition and registration of
polyhalite, a multi-nutrient fertiliser mined in the UK, which
will enable UK exports and help Indian farmers to increase
crop yields while supporting a cleaner, greener and
sustainable environment.

At the meeting, the UK and India agreed to work towards
removing additional barriers, including the existing barrier
on British exports of apples and pears to India and supporting
Indian and British legal professionals looking to work in each
other’s countries.

Trade between the UK and India was worth £24 billion last year
alone, and India is now the second largest investor in the UK

economy.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said:

“My first JETCO with India has been an opportunity to take
stock of progress made so far between our countries and look
at barriers preventing our trading relationship from reaching
its full potential.

India is an incredibly important partner for the UK. As one of
the world’s largest economies and democracies, it is a
powerhouse that will play a major role in shaping the 21st
Century.

We agreed to look in detail at a deeper relationship,
including resolving market access barriers into each other’s
economies. At this stage we want to keep all options on the
table, including the possibility of a free trade agreement at
some point in the future.”

International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena also led a
business plenary during the JETCO, organised by the UK India
Business Council (UKIBC). Ministers spoke with UK and Indian
businesses about our shared ambition to deepen our economic
and commercial partnership with India.

International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena said:

“The United Kingdom and India share a strong and enduring
bond, strengthened by a modern trading relationship.

It’s clear that there are huge opportunities to deepen our
relationship with India. We want to knock down existing trade
barriers, create more good jobs and encourage innovation
between two of the greatest democracies in the world. I’m
pleased to see our shared ambition in the spotlight today as
we boost our trading relationship.”

Brunch-time conversations
with British South Asian
Playwrights
Rifco Theatre Company are thrilled to present a series of free
brunch-time Q&As with some of Britain’s most prolific South
Asian Playwrights. Hosted by Rifco’s Associate Director, Ameet
Chana, who will be giving you an insight into their process,
where their journeys started, how they got to where they are
now, and what the future may hold for them. The conversations
hope to further the discussion surrounding the importance of
diversity and equality in the theatre industry, particularly
during this crucial stage of resurfacing after the national
lockdown.

One of Rifco’s core values is to support current and emerging
talent in the industry, which they do through their Associates
Programme and most recently through their Desi Lockdown series
which commissioned five British South Asian artists to create
short films surrounding their isolation experiences.

Pravesh Kumar, Artistic Director of Rifco says: “I’m thrilled
to be able to curate a season of some of the most prolific
British writers. It’s important that we celebrate our diverse
talent, who have changed the theatre landscape, often telling
untold stories from a unique perspective. This is a great
opportunity to shine a light and show pathways for future new
talent through our Rifco Associates programme.”

The schedule is as follows:

Vinay Patel – Wednesday 29th July | 11am – 12pm

Vinay’s debut play, True Brits, opened at the Edinburgh Fringe
2014, before transferring to the Bush Theatre and Vault
Festival. His latest play, An Adventure, ran at the Bush in
late 2018. His first piece for television, Murdered By My
Father, won the Royal Television Society award for Best Single
Drama and was nominated for three BAFTAs. Vinay was named a
BAFTA Breakthrough Brit for his work.

He has since written for Paines Plough, ITV, Channel 4 and the
BFI, as well as contributing to the bestselling collection of
essays, The Good Immigrant. Most recently, Vinay wrote for the
11th and 12th series of Doctor Who – receiving a Hugo
nomination – and is developing further projects for TV,
theatre and film.

Harvey Virdi – Wednesday 12th August | 11am – 12pm

Harvey Virdi is an actress and playwright, with an array of
film, TV and theatre credits. On stage Harvey has not only
performed in theatres across the country, but also has a
number of writing credits, including popular Rifco shows Meri
Christmas, Happy Birthday Sunita, and Miss Meena and the
Masala Queens.

She currently stars as Dr. Misbah Maalik in the popular soap
Hollyoaks. She has also starred in Bend It Like Beckham,
Citizen Khan and Not Going Out.

Tanika Gupta – Wednesday 26th August | 11am – 12pm

Over the past 25 years Tanika has written over 25 stage plays
that have been produced in major theatres across the UK and
has written extensively for BBC Radio drama. Some of her
theatre credits include: A Doll’s House (Lyric Hammersmith);
Red Dust Road – adaptation of Jackie Kay’s memoir (NT
Scotland); Bones (Central School for Speech and Drama);
Hobson’s Choice (Manchester Royal Exchange); Lions And Tigers
(Globe Theatre) – Winner of the James Tait Black Prize for
Drama 2018.

In 2008 Tanika was awarded an MBE for Services   to Drama and in
2016 was made a Fellow of the Royal Society       of Literature.
Tanika has an honorary doctorate in the Arts     from Chichester
University and is an Honorary Fellow at Rose     Bruford College
and Central School of Speech and Drama.

Gurpreet K Bhatti – Wednesday 16th September | 11am – 12pm

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti writes for stage, screen and radio. Her
first play Besharam (Shameless) broke box office records at
Soho Theatre and the Birmingham Rep. Behzti (Dishonour) was
sensationally closed after protests at the Birmingham Rep in
December 2004. BEHZTI won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the
play was then translated into French and did sell-out tours in
France and Belgium. Behud (Beyond Belief) was co-produced by
Soho Theatre and Coventry Belgrade and shortlisted for the
John Whiting Award. Khandan had a sell out run at the
Birmingham Rep before transferring to the Royal Court.

In 2018 Gurpreet wrote Dishoom! for Rifco Theatre Company and
her latest play A Kind of People opened at the Royal Court
Downstairs in December 2019. She is currently writing
screenplays for Moonage Pictures, Cuba Pictures and Martha
Stone Productions. She is also adapting Sathnam Sanghera’s
Marriage Material for the Birmingham Rep.

Anyone   can   sign   up   to   the   sessions   for   free   via
https://bit.ly/PlaywrightBrunch

About Rifco Theatre Company

Artistic Director, Pravesh Kumar founded Rifco Theatre Company
in 2000. The company is an Arts Council funded National
Portfolio Organisation, and since 2011, has been Resident
Company at Watford Palace Theatre.

Rifco develops and produces new plays and musicals, touring
nationally to some of the UK’s most prestigious regional
theatres. They present theatre of scale and spectacle that is

authentic, topical, thought-provoking, rich and entertaining
which celebrates and reflects contemporary British Asian
experiences, culture and society.

Rifco is committed to diversifying the kind of work seen in
our British theatres. We do this by commissioning British
Asian playwrights and working with as many diverse actors,
designers, directors that we can find. The company defines its
work through five programme strands:

     Rifco Theatre Company – new plays and musicals for the
     middle scale
     Rifco Studio – new plays for the smaller scale
     Rifco Associates – talent development programme
     Rifco Digital – new creative content for distribution
     online
     British   Asian   Festival   –   biennial,   multi-artform
     celebration of British Asian talent

Amit    Sadh   and    Vidyut
Jammwal’s ‘Yaara’ to premier
on ZEE5 Global
Amit Sadh and Vidyut Jammwal’s ‘Yaara’ is primed to release on
the largest OTT platform for Indian content, ZEE5 Global, on
30th July 2020. Yaara is a gripping tale that revolves around
the life of four friends and is an adaptation of a French
film, ‘A Gang Story’.

Set in Uttar Pradesh, Yaata is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia’s
and stars Vidyut Jammwal, Amit Sadh, Vijay Varma and Kenny
Basumatary who are infamous criminals who share a strong bond

of friendship. Yaara also witnesses stellar performances from
Shruti Hassan and Sanjay Mishra who play focal roles in the
film. Excited about the launch, Vidyut shared, “It’s a story
of friendship that we all experience in our lives. This
Friendship Day, you will relate to one of the 4 characters in
Yaara because the Chokdi gang will take you through a journey
that we all can relate to.” Amit added, “The narrative has a
twist around my character, so the audience should watch out
for that.”

Sharing her thoughts about the launch, Shruti quoted, “Yaara
is a unique passionate story spanned across years and has the
right amount of intensity. I am the only woman in the
narrative of four boys and my character plays a pivotal part
in the plot twist. I had a great time working on this project,
especially with our director Tigmanshu sir. It is a special
story that needs to be told.”

Yaara releases on ZEE5 Global on 30th July 2020.

About ZEE5 Global

ZEE5 is the digital entertainment destination launched by Zee
Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), a global Media and
Entertainment powerhouse. The platform launched across 190+
countries in October 2018 and has content across 17 languages;
Hindi, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, and now also five
international languages -Malay, Thai, Bahasa, German and
Russian. ZEE5 is home to 100,000 hours of On Demand Content
and 60+ live TV channels. For further information visit
www.ZEE5.com.

Ethnic         entrepreneurs
contribute £25 billion to the
UK economy
New research, published by the Federation of Small Businesses
(FSB), shows ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) contributed a
staggering £25 billion to the UK economy in 2018 – equivalent
to the economic contribution of Greater Manchester – but many
are being held back by barriers which hinder their growth. The
report reveals:

     EMBs are more innovative and more likely to export than
     their non-EMB counterparts.
     EMBs are often detached from mainstream business
     support, and struggle disproportionately when it comes
     to accessing finance.
     COVID-19 has brought structural inequalities in the UK
     to the fore, with many EMBs on the COVID-19 coalface,
     including corner shop owners.

A new report, FSB Unlocking Opportunity has highlighted the
economic value of ethnic minority businesses in the UK.

The research, carried out in association with Aston
University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority
Entrepreneurship (CREME), found that ethnic minority business
owners were more likely to export than non EMB owners in every
region.

EMBs were found to be more innovative than non-ethnic minority
firms, with 30 per cent of EMBs engaging in recent product or
service innovation, 11 percentage points higher than their
non-EMB counterparts.

Many ethnic minority entrepreneurs have struggled to access
external finance to help their business survive and grow. To

unlock the full potential of the UK’s EMBs, the report calls
on the Government to introduce a scheme to improve ethnic
minority access to external finance.

An FSB member who owns a marketing agency said: “I think the
lack of networks is a factor in access to finance. I have a
PHD and a MBA. My digital marketing agency is successful, so I
feel I have all the things investors say they want from
candidates that are seeking investment, yet I’m refused.”

Over a 16-year period, nearly 30 per cent of people on average
in the Black population were typically involved in thinking
about, setting up or operating a business venture, nearly
twice the level of the non-ethnic population. However only 3
per cent of respondents over time have been reported as
running a start-up or a young business with limited variation
between sub-groups. This suggests that a high number of
nascent black entrepreneurs do not realise their vision.

As the COVID-19 recession unfolds, the employment gap between
ethnic minorities and non-ethnic minorities is likely to
worsen. The report recommends that the Government should
recognise the important role that self-employment can play,
and that the New Enterprise Allowance should be scaled up to
help people into self-employment.

The report also calls for a comprehensive and regular national
study of ethnic minority entrepreneurship in the UK, so we can
better assess trends and target business support. Improving
our understanding of how ethnic businesses are evolving is key
to understanding the changing needs of all small businesses.

FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry, said:

“This new research shines a spotlight on the important
contribution made by ethnic minority businesses to the UK
economy.

“If we unlock opportunities for ethnic minority entrepreneurs,

this will benefit the UK as a whole. We know from this
research that EMBs are incredibly innovative and the
Government must harness this by ensuring they are not left out
of national strategies and are able to play a vital role as
part of a diverse public procurement framework.

“As we look to the immediate economic impact of the pandemic,
we know from research by the Enterprise Research Centre that
many EMBs have less resilience than the business population as
a whole. With a high proportion of EMBs operating on the
‘metaphorical frontline’ in their communities, the Government
should look to target business support, especially as EMBs
traditionally have had lower engagement with mainstream
support.

“Alongside the economic contribution EMBs make, we must also
note the vital role they play in contributing to the social
value in our communities, by creating jobs and wealth, but
also enhancing the social fabric in our society, something
which is much harder to quantify, but has been demonstrated
during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“FSB is committed to championing an inclusive small business
community that moves away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach
to policy, and towards one that caters to the ever changing
needs of different ethnic minority businesses.”

Director of CREME at Aston Business School Professor Monder
Ram, said:

“This landmark study by CREME, the ERC and FSB provides a
compelling business case for ethnic minority entrepreneurship.
It highlights the vital contribution of ethnic minority
businesses and demonstrates their strengths in trade,
innovation, and entrepreneurial growth. The qualities will be
indispensable to the post COVID-19 recovery.”

Click here to download      a   copy   of   the   FSB   Unlocking
Opportunity report.

About FSB

As the UK’s largest business support group, FSB is the voice
of the UK’s small businesses and the self-employed.
Established over 40 years ago to help its members succeed in
business, FSB is a non-profit making and non-party political
organisation that’s led by its members, for its members. As
the UK’s leading business campaigner, FSB is focused on
delivering change which supports smaller businesses to grow
and succeed.

FSB offers members a wide range of vital business services,
including access to finance, business banking, legal advice
and support along with a powerful voice in Government. Each
year FSB also runs the UK’s Celebrating Small Business Awards.
More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk.

Parliamentary Chair writes to
Boohoo    on  poor   working
practices
In a letter to Boohoo’s Group Executive Director and Group
Executive sent today by Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chairman of
the Environmental Audit Committee, Mr Dunne disputes the claim
that the Group was not aware of the illegal working practices
at factories making the fast fashion firm’s garments.

Boohoo should have been aware of allegations of poor working
practices in its supply chain. The Committee’s 2019 report on
Fixing Fashion highlighted the issue of Leicester’s garment

workers being paid below the National Minimum Wage. The
example of Leicester was again discussed during a public
evidence hearing with the Financial Times’ Sarah O’Connor
which triggered a letter to Boohoo from the Committee raising
concerns with Leicester garment workers being paid illegally
low wages. Boohoo Group’s co-founder and then Chief Executive
Carol Kane later appeared before the Committee where poor
conditions and illegally low pay in Leicester garment
factories was discussed.

Despite the growing calls for Boohoo to address concerns for
its workers, it apparently continues to be unwilling to engage
with trade unions and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI).
The Committee contacted Usdaw about trade union representation
for Boohoo staff, and the ETI on labour market practices in
its wider supply chain.

Usdaw confirmed that the company refuses to recognise the
union, and workers have told them that they feel intimidated
at work and have been instructed not to engage with union
representatives. Despite assuring the Committee last year that
it was taking steps to join the ETI, the Committee understands
Boohoo did not formally apply to join and the ETI has said
they “are not convinced that [Boohoo] would meet a number of
critical aspects essential to ETI membership.”

Chair’s comments

Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Philip Dunne, said:

“It is incredible that over a year since the Committee
highlighted illegal working practices in its supply chain,
Boohoo has publicly denied any knowledge of what has been
happening for years.

“Last year Boohoo told us that it was going to join the ETI.
We note it has not done so. It is shameful that it took a
pandemic and the ensuing outrage about working practices in
their supply chain for Boohoo finally to be taken to task for

turning a blind eye.

“I have today asked a number of questions to discover what the
company is doing to protect its workers and to ask whether any
environmental standards have been adopted to lessen the impact
of fast fashion on our environment.”

The letter’s publication follows Mr Dunne’s question to the
Home Secretary on 13 July where he raised concerns of modern
slavery found during the Committee’s fast fashion inquiry. The
Home Secretary confirmed that there is a cross-Government
taskforce looking into the issue of working conditions in
factories in Leicester.

The following questions have been asked of Boohoo:

What measures did Boohoo Group companies put in place during
the pandemic to protect workers both at its own operations and
at the garment factories that supply its garments?

Did Boohoo continue to issue fines to producers for late
delivery during the pandemic? And if so, how many?

To ensure that the health and safety of garment workers is
protected and that collective bargaining is allowed, will
Boohoo now commit      to   establishing   formal   trade   union
recognition?

Why did Boohoo take the decision not to apply for Membership
of the ETI?

How was the “alternative initiative” evaluated to ensure
Boohoo would be held accountable to the highest ethical and
environmental standards?

Will Boohoo now reconsider aligning its practices to enable it
to become a member of the ETI?

Click here to download a copy of

Letter from Chair to Boohoo
     Letter from ETI to Chair
     Letter from Usdaw to Chair
     Environmental Audit Committee

In a press notification on the Boohoo Plc website, the company
stated:

‘This week a number of serious allegations have been made
about the treatment of people working in the garment industry
in Leicester. As one of a number of retailers that source
products in the area, boohoo wants to reiterate that it does
not and will not condone any incidence of mistreatment of
employees and of non-compliance with our strict supplier code
of conduct.

Boohoo remains committed to supporting UK manufacturing and is
determined to drive up standards where this is required. Where
help and support for improvement is required we have and will
continue to provide it, to ensure that everyone working to
produce clothing in Leicester is properly remunerated, at
least the National Minimum Wage, fairly treated and safe at
work. However, we will not hesitate to immediately terminate
relationships with any supplier who is found not to be acting
within both the letter and spirit of our supplier code of
conduct. This includes very clear expectations on transparency
about second tier suppliers.

We are grateful to the Sunday Times for highlighting the
conditions at Jaswal Fashions, which, if they are as described
by the undercover reporter, are totally unacceptable and fall
woefully short of any standards acceptable in any workplace.
Our investigations have shown that Jaswal Fashions is not a
declared supplier, and is no longer trading as a garment
manufacturer. It therefore appears that a different company is
using Jaswal’s former premises and we are currently trying to
establish the identity of this company. We are taking
immediate action to thoroughly investigate how our garments

were in their hands, and we will ensure that our suppliers
immediately cease working with this company.

Our support for UK manufacturing is not driven by price; in
fact, overseas pricing is much more competitive. Our
international distribution centre is located in the UK and
having a local supply base enables shorter lead times and
supports our agile business model.

In 2019, we retained the services of a third party compliance
specialist to strengthen our compliance and auditing
programme. Boohoo are keen and willing to work with local
officials to raise standards because, we are absolutely
committed to eradicating any instance of non-compliance and to
ensuring that the actions of a few do not continue to
undermine the excellent work of many of our suppliers in the
area, who work tirelessly to provide good jobs and good
working conditions.’

Mira Nair’s ‘A Suitable Boy’
to air on the BBC from 26th
July 2020
Mira Nair’s ‘A Suitable Boy’, based on the epic tale written
by Vikram Seth, is to air on BBC One from Sunday 26th July
2020 at 9pm as a six part drama. It is adapted by Andrew
Davies (Pride and Prejudice, War & Peace, Les Misérables),
directed by internationally acclaimed director Mira Nair
(Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, Queen of Katwe) and produced
by Lookout Point.

‘A Suitable Boy’ synopsis

A Suitable Boy tells the story of spirited university student
Lata (Tanya Maniktala); coming of age in North India in 1951
at the same time as the country is carving out its own
identity as an independent nation and is about to go to the
polls for its first democratic general election. It is a vast,
panoramic tale charting the fortunes of four large families
and exploring India and its rich and varied culture at a
crucial point in its history.

1951. In a newly independent India, passionate literature
student Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala) is looking towards her
own future.

Her mother Rupa (Mahira Kakkar) has successfully arranged the
marriage of her eldest daughter Savita (Rasika Dugal) to Pran
Kapoor (Gagandeep Singh Riar), a university lecturer. Now Rupa
has her sights set on her spirited younger daughter but Lata
wants to make her own way in the world. She isn’t interested
in romance but her resolve is challenged when she starts to
fall for a mysterious fellow student, Kabir Durrani (Danesh
Razvi).

Pran’s brother is the charming but directionless Maan Kapoor
(Ishaan Khatter), who becomes bewitched by the singer and
courtesan, Saeeda Bai (Tabu). Maan is a worry to his father,
the progressive Revenue Minister Mahesh Kapoor (Ram Kapoor),
who can’t let anything unbalance his political career at a
crucial moment.

As religious tensions mount between Muslims and Hindus in the
wake of Partition, India’s first national democratic election
approaches.

UK announces new points-based
immigration system
On 13 July 2020, the government set out further details on the
UK’s points-based system to mixed reviews from Unions
representing migrant workers, business organisations and the
Mayor of London. These new arrangements will take effect from
1 January 2021, once freedom of movement with the European
Union (EU) has ended. It will treat EU and non-EU citizens
equally and aims to attract people who can contribute to the
UK’s economy. Irish citizens will continue to be able to enter
and live in the UK as they do now.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel said:

“The British people voted to take back control of our borders
and introduce a new points-based immigration system.

Now we have left the EU, we are free to unleash this country’s
full potential and implement the changes we need to restore
trust in the immigration system and deliver a new fairer,
firmer, skills-led system from 1 January 2021.

Britain is open for business and ready to welcome the best and
brightest global talent.

The further detail will give employers the time to prepare and
the new immigration system will be implemented in phases to
ensure smooth delivery. Several new, simplified immigration
routes will be opened including:

     a new Health and Care Visa for key health professionals
     will make it easier and cheaper for health professionals
     to work in the UK, ensuring the NHS has continued access

to the top global talent
     a new graduate route opening in Summer 2021 will allow
     international students to stay in the UK once they have
     successfully completed their studies – students who have
     completed undergraduate and master’s degrees will be
     able to stay for 2 years and those who have completed
     PhD can stay for 3 years, making it easier for some of
     the best, international graduates to secure skilled jobs
     in the UK and contribute to the UK’s economic growth

Under the new system a number of existing routes will be
opened to anyone, regardless of nationality.”

Visa application process

New immigration routes will open later this year for
applications to work, live and study in the UK from 1 January
2021.

You’ll be able to apply and pay for your visa online.

When you apply, you’ll be asked to provide your biometric
information. The process for this is:

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

For most visas you’ll provide a digital photo of your face
using a smartphone app. You will not have to give your
fingerprints.

For a small number of low volume routes (to be confirmed later
this year) you’ll need to go to an overseas visa application
centre to have your photo taken.

Non-EU citizens

You’ll continue to submit your fingerprints and a photo at an
overseas visa application centre.

Skilled workers

The points-based system will include a route for skilled
workers who have a job offer from an approved employer
sponsor.

From January 2021, the job you’re offered will need to be at a
required skill level of RQF3 or above (equivalent to A level).
You’ll also need to be able to speak English and be paid the
relevant salary threshold by your sponsor. This will either be
the general salary threshold of £25,600 or the going rate for
your job, whichever is higher.

If you earn less than this – but no less than £20,480 – you
may still be able to apply by ‘trading’ points on specific
characteristics against your salary. For example, if you have
a job offer in a shortage occupation or have a PhD relevant to
the job.

There will not be a general route for employers to recruit at
or near the minimum wage.

Global talent scheme

The global talent scheme will be opened up to EU, EEA and
Swiss citizens. It will allow highly-skilled scientists and
researchers to come to the UK without a job offer.

International students and graduates
Student visa routes will be opened up to EU, EEA and Swiss
citizens. You’ll be able to apply for a visa to study in the
UK if you:

     have been offered a place on a course
     can speak, read, write and understand English
     have enough money to support yourself and pay for your
     course

A new graduate immigration route will be available to
international students who have completed a degree in the UK
from summer 2021. You’ll be able to work, or look for work, in

the UK at any skill level for up to 2 years, or 3 years if you
are a PhD graduate.

Visiting the UK

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and other non-visa nationals will
not require a visa to enter the UK when visiting the UK for up
to 6 months. All migrants looking to enter the UK for other
reasons (such as work or study) will need to apply for entry
clearance in advance.

EU citizens living in the UK by 31 December 2020

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in the UK before
31 December 2020, you and your family can apply to the EU
Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June
2021.

Crossing the UK border

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United
States of America, Singapore and South Korea – with a
biometric chip in their passports – will continue to be able
to use ePassport gates to pass through the border on arrival.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens will also be able to use ePassport
gates (this will be kept under review).

Until at least January 2026 we’ll continue to recognise
identity cards used for travel by EU citizens and their EU
family members who are both resident in the UK before the end
of the transition period and hold status under the EU
Settlement Scheme. We will also recognise ICAO compliant
identity cards from this group beyond 2026.

More details about the new immigration system can be found
here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-immigration-system-what-you-ne
ed-to-know

New UK immigration system could harm Covid-19 recovery, says

union

The new UK immigration system would create more barriers for
the very migrant workers the country needs to help our
recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, said the University and
College Union (UCU) today.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Instead of simplifying
our immigration system and reducing the barriers faced by
migrant workers, these proposals show that the hostile
environment is alive and well in the UK. They do nothing to
reduce the exorbitant visa and healthcare costs currently
faced by migrant workers, and miss an opportunity to rethink
restrictive minimum salary thresholds, which are a particular
obstacle to attracting many of the professional services staff
our universities and colleges rely upon.

‘The crude, metrics-based approach being set out shows that
this government clearly values earnings over ethics. The
system would prioritise those in higher paid jobs with better
education over workers who earn less, while many of those we
have clapped and celebrated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic
would be deemed “unskilled” and kept out of the country.

‘Migrant   staff   and   students   make   a   hugely   valuable
contribution to our education system, as well as the wider
economy and society. The government’s priority should be to
encourage those who wish to work or study at UK colleges and
universities to do so, especially as these institutions will
be central to our economic recovery.’

Future immigration system needs to keep the UK open to talent

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said,“I have repeatedly warned
that with the end of freedom of movement, our future
immigration system needs to keep the UK open to the talent and
workers which London’s economy and public services rely upon.
This is now even more vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While we will scrutinise the details of the Government’s
announcement, I have serious concerns that these new rules
could damage our capital’s economic recovery causing
difficulties for key sectors such as construction and social
care at the worst possible time.

“Undermining these sectors will make it even harder to build
the homes we need, look after our elderly relatives, and
resolve the ongoing pressures within our NHS and social care
system.

“Instead of    recognising the hugely positive impact that
immigration    has had on London and the UK’s economy and
communities,   the Government is pulling up the drawbridge to
much of the    talent we continue to need as a city and a
country. I am also deeply concerned that the Government is
refusing to extend the Brexit transition period, burdening
businesses with the added chaos of a potential no-deal Brexit.

“Rushing through these proposals during the middle of a global
pandemic is particularly irresponsible, and shows the
Government once again putting political dogma ahead of what
the country needs.”

CII welcomes the UK’s new points-based immigration

Chair of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) UK India
Business Forum, Mr Jim Bligh said:

“Indian businesses welcome the UK’s new points-based
immigration. It’s positive that the UK is seeking to attract
highly-skilled nationals from across the world, regardless of
nationality.

Across all sectors, Indian businesses bring in highly skilled
nationals from around the world to help UK plc grow and
compete. From high tech to haute cuisine, engineering to drug
design, a smooth, skills-focused immigration system should
help Indian companies across the economy to flourish in

Britain in the years ahead.”

Electric    Dreams  Online
Festival, 24th July – 16th
August 2020
Electric Dreams Online, from 24th July to 16th August 2020,
celebrates the best of cyberspace storytelling with The
Believers Are But Brothers by Javaad Alipoor and Small Screen
Lives by Abhi Arumbakkam. Given the current climate and
closure of cinemas, theatres and art galleries, this festival
will showcase artists, performers and creators who are using
the internet to connect people in the most imaginative and
entertaining ways.

Many of these shows were big hits on the Edinburgh Fringe
circuit but have been tailored digitally for the first time.
Their content has also been adapted to respond to these
strange times. I think there is a really interesting cultural
piece about how these artists have adapted their work so fast
for the digital space. The festival will allow the public to
feel as if they are part of an audience again, taking part in
very cool interactive games and immersive events and a chance
for everyone to celebrate these visionary artists.

Small Screen Lives

Small Screen Lives is a show     of original writing by Abhi
Arumbakkam. The show features    three monologues and a short
play written specifically for    online platforms. During the
hour-long performance you, the   audience, will participate in
the proceedings.

We invite you to listen to a grieving daughter deliver a
touching eulogy on Facebook live, watch an ageing actor
interact with fans on Instagram live, eavesdrop on a casting
director speaking to an actor on Skype and observe three
siblings in different parts of the world discuss caring
arrangements for an ageing parent on ZOOM. In between the two
acts, you will get a chance to share your own anecdotes of
life on online platforms.

Small Screen Lives tells big stories and explores important
themes that are often played out in the palm of our hands.

About Abhi Arumbakkam

Abhi Arumbakkam is a writer and documentary film-maker.
Currently, she’s pursuing a Master’s degree as a mature
student whilst resuscitating her creative practice after a
hiatus. Her work aims to reflect our diverse world through
compelling stories. She’s a mum trying to raise her sons to be
kind and compassionate people.

Click here to book ‘Small Screen Lives‘

The Believers Are But Brothers

We live in a time where old orders are collapsing, from the
post colonial nation states of the Middle East, to the EU and
the American election. Through it all, tech savvy and
bloodthirsty groups run through European drawn border lines.
Amidst this, a generation of young men, find themselves
burning with resentment, without the money, power and sex they
think they deserve, and this crisis of masculinity leads them
on a journey into an online world of fantasy, violence and
reality. Javaad Alipoor spent time exploring how ISIS and the
alt-right radicalise online and tells the story through
documentary, interactivity and fiction.

Click here to book ‘The Believers Are But Brothers‘.

Javaad Alipoor is known for being a bit of a rebel and for
making art for communities who don’t usually engage with it.
He has two pieces of work in the festival: his 2017 Edinburgh
hit The Believers are But Brothers which is the first time his
play has been adapted for the digital space. Arguably it sits
even better in a digital space. His second piece of art in the
festival is Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran
which is a film shot entirely on Instagram.

Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran – Instagram
augments this film about entitlement, consumption and digital
technology. Co-created by Javaad Alipour and Kirsty Housely.

The global gap between rich and poor is growing. As the world
decays, the spawn of the powerful dance like everyone is
watching.

This   darkly   comedic,   dizzying   show   about   entitlement,
consumption and digital technology invites you to use
Instagram to explore what is happening in the world.

Click here to book ‘Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in
Tehran‘

About Javaad Alipoor

Javaad Alipoor is an artist, director, writer and activist who
regularly makes work with and for communities that don’t
usually engage in the arts. He won a Scotsman Fringe First and
Columbia University Digital Storytelling Award for his 2017
play, The Believers Are But Brothers. The production then ran
at London’s Bush Theatre before its world tour. It has since
played in four countries. In 2019 it led to a commission of
his first film, which broadcast to 90,000 on the BBC. In
August 2019 he opened his latest play Rich Kids at the
prestigious Traverse theatre as part of the Edinburgh Fringe,
where he won his second Fringe First Award. Javaad is Artistic
Director of The Javaad Alipoor Company, a resident of The
Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio, a collaborator with The

National Theatre’s Immersive Storytelling Studio, a member of
Arts Council England’s Northern Council, and was a founding
trustee of Artistic Directors of the Future. He is currently
developing a variety of projects for live, digital and
broadcast platforms.

About Electric Dreams

Electric Dreams online is a curated programme that will
feature web-native theatre, music and experiences that are
live and social to give us back the magic of being part of an
audience. An industry conference will run alongside the
festival to navigate the challenges artists and producers are
now facing in the post Covid-19 world, and hopefully offer
some solutions. Electric Dreams was devised by Mark Atkin and
Tom Millen with the support of Arts Council England.

Mark Atkin has worked as a commissioner for SBS Australia and
Channel 4. He established the Alternate Realities Summit,
Exhibition and Market at the Sheffield Doc/Fest before heading
up Interactive at CPH:DOX. Together with Tom Millen he runs
Labs and workshops designed to empower the creative community
to express themselves through digital technologies and
together they curate digital arts events at festivals around
the world.

Tom Millen has curated interactive and immersive programmes
for a range of international festivals including Bergen
International Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Silbersalz
Science and Media Festival, AFO and the International Film
Festival of India. He also runs labs and workshops that are
designed to inspire creatives to embrace technology and
collaborate with other disciplines.

Arts Council England

Funded by the government Arts Council England is the national
development agency for creativity and culture. They grow
skills, knowledge and networks to help establish the

conditions in which creativity and culture can flourish across
the country.

Channel 4 launches its BAME-
led Indie accelerator
Channel 4 has today launched its BAME-led Indie Accelerator –
an innovative new approach to working with more independent
production companies (‘indies’) where the main shareholders,
the leading decision makers or the creative leaders comprise
those from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background.

In a two-year partnership with The TV Collective – an
organisation founded by Simone Pennant MBE, which aims to
connect BAME workers to paid opportunities in the media
industry – Channel 4 will run this initiative twice over the
next two years as part of a long-term strategic plan to
support more BAME-led production companies.

In the first round, the initiative will identify ten BAME-led
production companies, from a range of different backgrounds,
to work closely with Channel 4 Commissioning Heads of
Department for unscripted genres. By working with these
shortlisted companies, the broadcaster’s aim is to progress
them towards winning more commissions for the channel.

Channel 4 recently announced a new commitment to double the
number of BAME-led independent producers that it commissions
from by 2023.To achieve this, the broadcaster will continue to
work with indies already in development but expand its supply
chain to find additional indies to work with through its new
partnership with The TV Collective.

Indies selected from the BAME-led Indie Accelerator will
benefit from:

     Financial support: There will be development money put
     aside to help work on ideas plus additional funds from
     the channel’s Creative Diversity budget.
     Idea development: Production companies will benefit from
     idea development consultancy, commercial strategies
     mentoring, and support of their slate provided by a
     Channel 4 Commissioning Head of Department – alongside a
     bespoke plan to accelerate ideas and convert them to
     commissions across the channel’s portfolio.
     Access and support: Indies will gain an enhanced
     understanding of Channel 4 through unprecedented access
     and support from the channel’s senior leadership and key
     departments on how to develop ideas that have the
     greatest chance of success.
     Expanded contacts: Lasting relationships will be formed
     as they are networked across the channel and armed with
     insights to support future growth and success. This will
     include regular face to face meetings, financial support
     as required and tailored advice and mentoring.
     Access to creative talent network: To assist with advice
     on recruitment and access to talent pools.
     Involvement of Director of Programmes: Ideas will be
     prioritised for review by Ian Katz, Director of
     Programmes

Producers interested in the accelerator will have
opportunities to join briefing sessions on 16th July 2020,
introduced by Kelly Webb-Lamb, Deputy Director of Programmes
at Channel 4. The briefings are an opportunity to hear
directly from the Heads of Departments for unscripted genres
about what they are looking for.

Babita Bahal, Head of Creative Diversity at Channel 4 said:
“This two-year partnership with The TV Collective is an
important long-term commitment. This is not a one-off

initiative, it is about establishing business relationships
with new production partners. We want to work with producers
who bring bold ideas with mainstream appeal, and greater
breadth of voices and stories to the channel. We know that by
supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic producers we
effectively support more underrepresented talent across the
industry. And we want that support to be ongoing for more
companies, over a sustained period to drive meaningful change.
We want to do more and move quickly to find producers that
will really benefit from the bespoke access and development on
offer.”

Simone Pennant, CEO and Founder of The TV Collective said:
“This project shows Channel 4’s commitment to further
diversifying its supply chain and the range of stories we see
onscreen. I am very excited to partner with Channel 4 on this
two-year project. It offers an important business opportunity
for existing Black, Asian and Minority companies to better
understand the DNA of Channel 4, win commissions and grow
their businesses. It is also a breakthrough opportunity to
introduce the channel to an array of exciting BAME companies
who have not worked with C4 before.”

In 2019 the broadcaster commissioned eight BAME-led
independent production companies, with a further 12 in paid
development. Channel 4 aims to double the number of companies
it commissions from by 2023.

About: The TV Collective (TVC)

Founded by Simone Pennant MBE, The TV Collective is an online
resource dedicated to promoting the creative and commercial
value diversity adds to the British TV and film industries.
Its community consists of an eclectic mix of maverick media
professionals whose creativity has been informed by the
richness of diverse experiences and backgrounds. From new
entrants to execs and managing directors all eager and
committed to contributing to an industry that truly reflects