Kala Sangam The Team

Kala Sangam - Bringing people together through South Asian and Interdisciplinary Arts

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Kala Sangams team is composed of the following staff members.

Geetha Upadhyaya

Artistic Director/CEO

Geetha Upadhyaya is CEO and Artistic Director at Kala Sangam. She was a Consultant Pathologist, with a particulat interest in the health benefits of practising arts. Having a postgraduate degree in classical Indian dance and music, her main interests are cross art collaborations, choreography and music. Geetha's aim is to establish Kala Sangam at St Peter's House as a national centre for South Asian arts, heritage and culture.

Andrea Smart

General Manager

Andrea brings over 20 years’ experience working in the arts and social enterprise sectors across the Yorkshire region.  As General Manager with Kala Sangam, her role is to work with the team and external partners to build a sustainable and exciting future for the organisation. Andrea holds a degree in modern languages and an MBA from Bradford University School of Management.

Ajit Singh

Programme Manager

Ajit joined Kala Sangam 1997 on a PATH placement and currently holds a position as Programme Manager. Ajit has obtained a Diploma in Management Studies by Cambridge Online Learning and is currently studying for an MBA. In his spare time Ajit learns to play the Tabla and enjoys listening to music.

Chris Brereton

Finance Manager

Chris joined Kala Sangam in January 2008 on a part-time basis. He continues to work for the Bradford Councils Economic Development Service and has previously worked for Proudlocks Ltd. He has a Masters in Engineering (specialising in Electronics) from Durham University. In his spare time, Chris volunteers at a social centre in Leeds where he helps to organise and run gigs/clubnights and other events and assists in managing the centres finances.

Davina Griffin-Hart

Facilities Manager

Davina Griffin-Hart, originally from Ireland, joined Kala Sangam in November 2007. Davina has over 15 years experience of working as a Facilities and Administration Manager within the service industry, her main role is to ensure day-to-day activities at St Peter's House run smoothly and efficiently.Davina has obtained Certificates in Leadership & Management and Personal & Professional Skills with Leeds Metropolitan University. 

Mohammed Iftikar

Facilities Assistant

Ifty is the welcoming face of our reception desk. He coordinates bookings and assists Davina with the running of St Peter's House.

Fiona Rollinson

Admin & Performance Officer

Fiona joined Kala Sangam in November 2009, having previously worked for the organisation in 2005-6.  Her role is to provide comprehensive administration support for the company and to assist the General Manager in developing systems to monitor and report on organisational performance.   Fiona is a part-qualified accountant with over 10 years experience.  She holds a degree in Business Economics from the University of Liverpool.

Helen Robinson

Marketing and Audience Development Officer

Helen joined Kala Sangam in July 2011. She manages marketing, PR and communications at Kala Sangam, promoting the work of the organisation and developing new audiences. Helen is a CIM-qualified marketer with seven years experience, much of it in the cultural and arts sector. In her spare time, she enjoys arts & crafts and furniture restoration.

Pavan Sembi

Arts Projects Officer

Pavan Sembi is a community/craft and textiles artist based in Bradford. Her role at Kala Sangam is to manage arts projects with young people and famillies. She has over ten years of experience in arts and community based projects throughout the region and beyond.

Uzma Kazi

Arts Projects Assistant

Uzma currently works on the FUSE Youth Music project. She has worked in the area of Theatre & Performance Design on a freelance basis and more recently as a Youth & Community Development Worker in the voluntary sector in Bradford. She is looking forward to getting young people involved in world music across various genres through the FUSE project. 

Mohammed Imran

Arts Projects Officer

Along with Pavan, Imran manages art projects at Kala Sangam.