Culture Forward is sponsoring the performance of “The Valley of Queens” at the 2024 JAAG Festival

Valley of the Queens emerged from The Happy Hour Project, a 12-week creative initiative produced by Curl Girl and commissioned by Creative Black Country within the Arts Council

England’s Creative People and Places National Portfolio Programme. This project provided South Asian women aged 50-80+ from the Sandwell region with a platform for free creative activities and storytelling workshops centered on their migration journeys. Activities included Laughter Yoga, African Mask Painting, Bollywood Dance and a visit to see ‘A Forest Dream’ at the MAC.

Feedback from participants highlighted the positive impact of the project: “The biggest highlight was seeing these ladies shed that layer of darkness and smile and laugh, looking forward to being part of a group,” said Kiren Jogi, the multidisciplinary artist behind Curl Girl Productions. CIC. The company, established in 2023, celebrates South Asian culture and identity through dynamic storytelling and aims to promote personal and social change within the Midlands community.