Darbar named as Barbican artistic associate

The Barbican has announced that Indian classical music organisation Darbar Arts, Culture and Heritage (Darbar) has become one of its official artistic associates. The formalisation of Darbar’s long-standing collaboration with the London arts centre comes ahead of this year’s Darbar Festival of Indian Classical Music running from 24-27 October at the Barbican.

The first new artistic associate to be announced at the Barbican in a decade, Darbar joins a family of associates including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Academy of Ancient Music, associate producer Serious and resident orchestra London Symphony Orchestra. The cultural organisation will celebrate its landmark 20th anniversary festival in October 2025.

Barbican head of music Helen Wallace said: ‘Darbar connects our audiences with a huge family of world-class classical musicians from India and its diaspora, from legendary artists to exciting emerging talent. Moreover, Sandeep offers audiences a holistic vision for experiencing music, embracing listening, learning, and participation, uniquely suited to our Barbican spaces, and very much in the spirit of our purpose as a civic arts centre in the heart of our diverse city.’

Alongside the upcoming 2024 festival Darbar has also announced a new at the Barbican Hall in 2025 including a concert by sitarist Niladri Kumar and a celebratory performance based around Guru Nanak’s Message of Peace through Music, which will be presented in April alongside a programme of workshops, lectures and films at the Centre.

Sandeep Virdee OBE, artistic director and founder trustee of Darbar Festival, said: ‘We are thrilled to bring year-round Indian classical music programming to the Barbican Centre, one of the world’s most prestigious cultural venues. This partnership allows us to present a decolonised perspective of one of the world’s most evolved, improvisational, and holistic art forms, one that profoundly nurtures both mental and spiritual well-being.’