Join us for a day of FREE activity for all the family to enjoy!
The Sensasian Family Fun Day offers visitors the chance to experience a range of activity that celebrates South Asian Culture. Created in collaboration with local South Asian communities, the day features performances, dance workshops, music, film and Henna painting – all for FREE.
Activity begins at 12.00pm on Saturday 26 July – see the full schedule below:
As their show for Sensasian is happening inside the theatre, we won’t see slack-rope walking or live flames. But you won’t miss out; along with Govinda the Fakir the cast of acrobats, musicians and dancers will deliver eye-watering displays that will make you laugh and cheer!
Both performances will be Audio Described through a headset. Please ask a member of staff on the day if you would like to listen.
Click here for a teaser of what you can expect!
The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band is a living embodiment of ‘the land of royalty’, sharing Rajasthan’s rich tradition, heritage, and colourful lifestyle through a spectacular celebration of heady music and hypnotic dance.
Experience a diverse repertoire spanning Rajasthani folk songs, Bollywood hits, spiritual qawwali, Bhangra beats, sci-fi and intergalactic funk – and even some well loved pop songs – as loved by crowds at Belfast Mela, Bestival, and Glastonbury!
Click here for a taste of what to expect!
Join this family-friendly hands-on block printing workshop on fabric using carved wooden blocks of various pattern designs. This hand-block printing technique – Sanganeri – originates from Sanganer, a village in the south of Jaipur.
The workshop takes about 20mins to complete with a couple of people being able to take part at a time. You may need to wait a short while to take part. We will try and make sure that everyone that would like to take part can do so.
Baluji Shrivastav OBE is one of the world’s leading composers and sitar players. Described as ‘sitarist to the stars’ (Evening Standard), he has performed and recorded with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Massive Attack, Madness, Shakira, Malu, Boy George and Doves.
Baluji is signed to Naxos World ARC with over fifteen releases of classical and world music fusion. His compositions include works for orchestra, theatre, dance, film, television and radio. Selected credits include Disney’s Million Dollar Arm, 20th Century Fox’s New Girl, NBC’s Outsourced and the world’s only Urdu opera Sohini and Mahival, which he composed with Golden Globe and Oscar Winner Dario Marianelli.
Click here to watch a taster of what to expect!
Experience traditional henna by artist Cherrie Matharu.
Organic henna is a natural dye derived from the leaves of the henna plant. When mixed into a paste it is applied to the skin in intricate patterns and left to dry, leaving behind a beautiful temporary tattoo.
We expect henna to be a popular activity. Cherrie will get through as many people as possible during the time, and we may run a list on the day to avoid disappointment. Please ask a member of staff when you arrive.
The performance will merge the elegance of classical tradition with the energy and colour of Bollywood, offering a dynamic celebration of rhythm, expression, and storytelling.
Under the artistic direction of Srimathi Darshikka Rajasegaram, dancers showcase both discipline and creativity, staying rooted in tradition while embracing contemporary styles.
A short workshop will follow the performance.
The performances will be Audio Described through a headset. Please ask a member of staff on the day if you would like to listen.
Tofail Ahmed is a professional Indian musician and teacher spent years in Bangladesh and India honing his craft in vocal classical and light classical music. During his time in Delhi he trained as an ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) under Pt Birju Maharaj.
Tofail performs Ghazals, Classical, Bollywood songs and more, moving between styles – and languages including Bengalli, Sanskrit, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Braj Bhasha and Gujrati – with ease.
For Sensasian 2025 Tofail will be accompanied by Gurprit Matharu, one of the finest Tabla players in the UK.
Click here for a taste of what to expect!
The Poetry Takeaway serves high quality, personalised poetry – written, performed and wrapped up to take away. This diverse group of poet chefs put the people they meet and the stories they share at the heart of each poem they serve up. Expect tears, laughter and everything in between.
The Poetry Takeaway
An old burger van
Stuffed with fresh poetry buns
Serving up warm words
Click here for a taste of what to expect
The perfect way to either end your family day, or start your evening before watching Ladies of Laughter.
BSL is available for this activity. No booking is required. Please indicate to a member of the team when you arrive to ensure you are seated with the best line of sight.
Food and drink will be available to buy at the theatre. The café and bar will be open for usual hot and cold drinks and cake. Plus there will be a special plated menu for Sensasian available at £7 per plate as follows:
Afternoon menu served 12pm to 2pm: Chickpea curry with peas, rice, and fried bread
We’ll see you there!
Why not join us for some of the evening events too?
Sensasian Festival evening events
Friday 25July 7.30pm
Yeh Dosti: Celebrating 50 Years of Sholay
Tickets £26.50 / £24.00
Saturday 26 July 7.30pm
Ladies of Laughter
Tickets £20.00
Age Guidance 18+
For more information about Sensasian 2025, visit Appetite’s website here
Tickets: £0.00 - £0.00