Out of Place are delighted to have been selected to work with Kala Sangam to deliver a full rebrand and re-naming process, which will precede an ambitious capital redevelopment project.

Kala Sangam are a Bradford-based arts centre delivering a range of dance, literature, music, theatre and visual arts. Initially specialising in South Asian arts, Kala Sangam now offer a diverse artistic programme, increasing engagement with more of Bradford’s communities whilst retaining strong support for Indian classical artforms.

The new brand identity – coinciding with a major redevelopment of the centre itself – will aim to further increase Kala Sangam’s audience diversity and re-position them as a welcoming, inclusive centre for arts. Breaking down existing barriers and pre-conceptions to give more local communities a sense of ownership over our publicly funded space.

Out of Place will be facilitating a comprehensive research and development phase that will include public/stakeholder surveys and workshops. This will precede a full rebranding process that will reflect the vision and values of Kala Sangam, its stakeholders and its audiences.

Haigh Simpson, Project Manager for Out of Place said, ‘Kala Sangam is an organisation with a fantastic heritage and huge ambition and we are delighted to be partnering them through this exciting transformation.

As dyed in the wool Bradfordians, with a studio based in the city centre, we are passionate about our city and its future. Particularly the part that creativity and culture can play in making Bradford a better place to live, work and enjoy. So to be given the opportunity to work with Kala Sangam is incredibly exciting and ticks every box for us in terms of our values and ambition as a studio.  

We’ve seen how successful Kala Sangam have been in making culture accessible for under-engaged communities and the work they have done to bring people and communities together. Our aim will be to develop a new brand identity that allows them to build on this success and reflects the modern, accessible and welcoming arts centre they are today.’

Alex Croft, Creative Director of Kala Sangam said, ‘We were really impressed by Out of Place’s values and ethos, they are Bradford people who care passionately about the third sector and supporting the local arts ecology. They have worked on a wide range of projects with Arts Council funded organisations and national charities and well are local organisations like The Peace Museum and Bradford Producing Hub.

Their skills, size and location are and ideal match for us and we are excited to start work on this process with them.’

The project is due for completion by the end of 2023.