BACKGROUND:
Heer Productions was set up by Alina Mirza, a Glasgow-based cross-arts form curator and public health specialist, and Suhayl Saadi, a novelist and radio and stage dramatist www.suhaylsaadi.com.
The Pakistani community is the largest minority ethnic community in Glasgow (nearly 20,000), and is also the largest such community in Scotland as a whole. However there has been a lack of participation of the Pakistani community in mainstream arts and film professional training programmes/academic courses, and a low level of audience participation at mainstream events. For the first three years of its operation, Heer Productions' Board of Directors is keen to address the above issues and work closely with the Pakistani community.
The artistic director has also carried out a feasibility study visit to research and establish links between Pakistan and Scotland in the area of film and arts (2004). This visit was funded by the Scottish Arts Council, Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance and Culture and Leisure Services, Glasgow City Council.
Table: Breakdown of Black and Minority Ethnic Population of Glasgow,
Census 2001 (Public Heath Institute for Scotland)
Minority Ethnic Group |
Percentage |
Pakistani |
50% |
Indian |
13% |
Chinese |
12% |
Other South Asian |
6% |
Any Mixed Background |
6% |
Caribbean |
1% |
African |
4% |
Bangladeshi |
1% |
Black Scottish or Other Black |
1% |
Other Ethnic Group |
6% |
Please read the article below, entitled Broken Maps , commissioned by and published in ‘ The Herald ' newspaper in March 2004.
‘ Broken Maps ' by Suhayl Saadi (commissioned by ‘ The Herald ' newspaper, March 2004)
