Motivated by a prevalent sense of COVID-induced dislocation and loneliness, musician, composer and television presenter Soumik Datta, with directorial assistance from his brother, award-winning filmmaker Souvid Datta, has curated Silent Spaces, a unique project seeking to reclaim those iconic cultural institutions, performance halls and empty museums that have been out of commission during the pandemic, breaking their silences with new music, dance and hope. 

In collaboration with a diverse team of British Asian, black and ethnic minority musicians and dancers, the two siblings ventured into iconic venues like British Museum and the Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as Depot Mayfield in Manchester and The Sage in Gateshead, to produce six films exploring resonant themes in keeping with the choice of venue, while confronting issues surrounding mental health, activism, environmentalism, colonisation and identity. Those performers taking part were rewarded with a sense of hope for the future of the arts industry and its role in shaping cultural conversations for the better.

The series of films will be released online in late April, in partnership with the venues, Arts Council England, Timberland, WeTransfer, Bagri Foundation and Dishoom, coinciding with an album release, a behind the scenes documentary film commissioned by WePresent and a radio documentary co-produced with BBC Radio 3.

View a trailer for Silent Spaces below.