An Indian Summer at the Botanic Garden

Event will be held at: Botanic Garden, University of Leicester, 3 Glebe Road, Oadby, Leicester, LE2 2LD

Inspirate’s flagship festival, An Indian Summer, is back from 2 – 6 July. On the 5 July, the festival comes to the beautiful grounds of Botanic Gardens in collaboration with Attenborough Arts Centre with circus, music, walkabout theatre and dance animating the grounds, brought to the festival through the partnership of Without Walls.

‘The Stories We Bring, The Stories We Shape’ delves into the narratives we inherit and the new ones we create, reflecting upon our collective and personal past, present and future. The festival invites us to explore the transformative power of storytelling.

An Indian Summer Botanic Garden Schedule:

Ancient Giants
Produced by Inspirate

Inspired by the ancient South Asian tales she’s heard throughout her childhood, a young girl called Shanti imagines a battle between Hanuman the Monkey God and Ravana the Demon King. This epic encounter is brought to life through an extraordinary fusion of large scale puppetry, dance and martial arts.  Puppets made and designed by Tom Cleaver Supported by Arts Council England and Without Walls.

Timings
11am – 11.45am – Audio Description & Touch Tour – book tickets in advance
12.15pm – 12.40pm – Walkabout & Performance
3.15pm – 3.45pm – Walkabout & Performance
5:15pm – 5.30pm – Walkabout

Ancient Giants Touch Tour and Audio Description
Produced by Inspirate

Step into the world of the Ancient Giants through our Audio Pre-Listen and Touch Tour – a vivid, immersive introduction to the Ancient Giants story.

Timings
11am – 11.45am
This session happens before the 12.15pm showing of Ancient Giants

Roots To Rise
Produced by Nandita Shankardass

In her new dance theatre work, Roots to Rise, Nandita Shankardass brings together three women, each absorbed in the chaos of their own world. We follow their journey as they reconnect to the earth, ancestral wisdom, and to futures emerging on the horizon, celebrating freedom, resistance and community. Roots To Rise is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Inspirate, Stockton International Riverside Festival and Brighton Festival.

Timings
1pm – 1.45pm – Performance
3.30pm – 4pm – Pre-Show Touch Tour and Audio Description Introduction
4pm – 4.45pm – Performance, with Audio Description

Roots To Rise Movement Workshop
By Nandita Shankardass

Join dance artist and choreographer Nandita Shankardass for a workshop inspired by the themes of Roots to Rise. Through mindful moments and creative movement, this guided workshop invites you to tune into yourself and connect with your surroundings and the natural world.

As part of the experience, you can choose to share your movements within the performance of Roots To Rise which follows on from these workshops, alongside the cast.

This is an intergenerational workshop suitable for ages 7 years plus.

Timings
12.15pm – 1pm

Tell Me
By Sadiq Ali Company

Following the success of Sadiq Ali Company’s debut show in 2023, the company return with their new show, Tell Me, a captivating contemporary circus and dance show that reimagines the narrative around HIV in today’s world.

Timings
11.30am – 12.15pm
2.30pm – 3.15pm

Mirchi Mob

Mirchi Mob is a South Asian music collective blending the raw energy of UK bass with the rich rhythms of the diaspora. Fusing tabla, poetry, and rap with gritty club riddims and traditional South Asian flavours. Their sound is a spicy collision of heritage and rave culture. Bold, bassy & unapologetically brown.

Timings
1.50pm – 2.20pm
5pm – 5.30pm

Aaron Hira: ClarenceStreet Studios
DJ/Music

Aaron Hira will be our resident DJ throughout the day, blending contemporary and nostalgic rhythms and melody, creating an ambient and eclectic soundtrack during our festival takeover in the Botanic Gardens.

Timings
Between 11am – 5pm

Roots Of Our Tree
Workshop
Shamila Chady

Get crafty and help create a community installation inspired by the trees that hold personal significance to your family, and by your own roots, heritage and culture. Choose from the range of art materials on offer to create your own bunting flag to add to the collective artwork.

Timings
11am – 4pm 

Pedestrian
Workshop

Join Pedestrian for an Indian block-printing workshop using colour, texture and pattern. Help create a collaborative piece of artwork, along with a print to take home.

Timings
11am – 3pm

For festival announcements and updates:
Follow @aisfestival on Instagram
Follow An Indian Summer on Facebook

Visit the An Indian Summer website