Below you will find highlights from the web resources we have
selected and annotated which are relevant to the study of South Asian
literature and arts in Britain.
A2A (Access 2 Archives)
http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk
The A2A database contains catalogues describing archives held
throughout England and dating from the 900s to the present day covering a
multitude of subjects. It does not yet offer a full description of all the
archives in England, but it is regularly updated.
AAVAA (African and Asian Visual Artists’ Archive)
http://www.uel.ac.uk/aavaa/
Based at the University of East London, the AAVAA archive documents
the works of African and Asian artists in Britain and stocks monographs,
exhibition catalogues, slides, videos, artists’ CVs and press-cutting files.
African Caribbean, Asian and African Art in Britain Archive
http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/frames/browse1?inst_id=55
Based at the Chelsea College of Art and Design and established
since 1985, the archive holds materials that date up to 2002.
Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail
http://www.asht.info/
A project of the Maharajah Duleep Singh Centenary Trust set up
with the objective of highlighting and promoting Anglo Sikh Heritage in
Britain. The site has a number of useful features that include a list of places
and archives that holds materials to do with this subject area and breif
summaries about Sikh religion, culture and contemporary life.
Asians in Britain – British Library
http://www.bl.uk/collections/britasian/britasia.html
Asian settlements in Britain go back to 400 years ago. Historian
Rozina Visram provides an illustrated outline of the Asian presence in Britain
through images from the British Library’s Oriental and India Office
Collections.
Bibliography: Contemporary British Art of Black and Asian
Diasporas
http://www.glaadh.ac.uk/documents/wainwright_bibliog.htm
Focusing exclusively on the 1980’s, this bibliography researched
and compiled by Leon Wainwright provides a comprehensive list for those
studying or interested in this area of the visual arts.
Black and Asian History Map
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/B/blackhistorymap/
Provides a gateway to websites about Black and Asian history across
the British Isles; you can search for sites by location (via the map), time
period (via the timeline) or subject (via the search facility).This Channel 4
website was the winner of the 53rd Prixitalia award in 2001 in the Web -
Culture & Society section.
Black and Asian Theatre
http://theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk/eduindex.htm
Compiled from the Theatre Museum’s core collections, historical
documents and resources; these web pages provide a concise overview of UK Black
and Asian theatre productions from 1825 to 1974 and 1975 onwards. (Select the
Research and Collections link from the left hand menu to view lists).
Black Presence: Asian and Black History in Britain 1500-1850
http://www.pro.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory/sitemap.htm
Created by the National Archive, specifically to chart and reclaim
some of this history through documents, photographs and other materials
covering topics such as rights, culture, work and community. Useful features
include a site map and glossary.
Bodelian Library, Oxford: Oriental Collections
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/users/djh/oriental/home.htm
The Bodelian Library contains a number of collections releated to
south Asian arts and culture. The Eastern Art Library (Ashmolean Museum -
collections covering all aspects of oriental art, architecture and archaeology)
and the Indian Institute Library (specialising in the history and culture of
South Asia, Tibet and the Himalayas) can be contatced using this web site.
British Library: Asian Business, Arts and Media in Britain
http://www.bl.uk/services/information/abambind.html
A useful resource section featured within the main website for the
British Library providing web links to a variety of South Asian organizations
in the UK.
CASBAH
http://www.casbah.ac.uk/
A pilot web site for research resources relating to Caribbean
Studies and the history of Black and Asian peoples in the UK, the CASBAH
database contains information on print and audio-visual collections held in UK
academic, public and special libraries and repositories.
Culturebase
http://www.culturebase.net/
Culturebase is a searchable online information source on
contemporary international artists from all fields. Developed in partnership by
four European cultural institutions, the online database has been created to
document artists of different nationalities that have lived or worked in
Europe.
Eddie Chambers
http://www.eddiechambers.com/#
Offcial site for this respected visual artist, curator, archivist,
writer and lecturer that offers an overview of exhibitions curated, catalogues
produced (many can be ordered via the site) and a selection of articles.
Exhibition ~Transforming the Crown
http://www.colophon.com/arts-x/caribctr/index.html
Essays and images from this important 1998 USA based touring
exhibition that explored the work of Black and South Asian artists working in
England. Catalogues for the exhibition featuring artist profiles, a chronology
of three decades of British social and cultural history, and incisive essays by
prominent British and American scholars can be also be purchased via the
website.
History Talking
http://www.historytalking.com/
Website for the ‘Volunteering History Group’; an online oral
history archive focusing on the rising influence of the South Asian diaspora to
the UK. Listen to interviews that include contributions from people in the
arenas of sport, the arts and politics to name but a few.
InIVA (Institute of International Visual Arts) – Library
http://www.iniva.org/library/
inIVA’s reference library focuses on contemporary art from Africa,
Asia, Latin America and the work of British artists from different cultural
backgrounds. It is an invaluable resource and contains collections of
monographs, catalogues, periodicals, slides and other media on visual arts and
cultural studies. inIVA has also created a
digital archive
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~jwapnick/sorabji/
A fascinating account of this British born musician and composer in
the western classical tradition is revealed through a detailed biography and a
series of photographs, quotes and references. His critical writings and essays
are also listed and a complete discography features as part of this
site.
Mapping Asia
http://www.asiamap.ac.uk/index.php
Mapping Asia features a database of resources on Asia, the Middle
East and North Africa held in university, and special and public libraries in
the UK. Information is also given on access to holdings of newspapers and on
the range of linguistic expertise in Asian languages available across the
UK.
Moving Here
http://www.movinghere.org.uk
A database consisting of digitised photographs, maps, objects,
documents and audio items recording migration experiences of the past 200
years. Personal stories of migration can also be added to this resource via the
site.
OVA - The Organisation for Visual Arts
http://www.ova-online.org
An inIVA franchise, OVA was set up in 1992 by photographer Sunil
Gupta to organise exhibitions and events to develop and improve the knowledge,
understanding and practice of the visual arts. The site provides a brief
overview of activity to date.
Panchayat Archive
http://www.wmin.ac.uk/harlib/panchayat.htm
The Panchayat archive,
housed at the University of Westminster, contains a wide range of material on
Non-European visual artists, including many South Asian ones, such as slides,
videos, artists’ files, periodicals and ephemera.
SARAI – South Asian Resource Access
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/southasia/cuvl/
A valuable resource about all things South Asian on the University
of Columbia website crammed with bibliographies and signposts to materials and
archives internationally.
SOAS Library
http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/index.cfm
The University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies
library has an extensive collection of books and periodicals relating to the
humanities and social sciences as well as literature written in Asian and
African languages
Tambimuttu
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/spec/pdf/tambimuttu.pdf
Archive information about this influential writer, publisher and
founding editor of the UK based poetry journal, Poetry London (1939 - 49). Held
at the Northwestern University Library, USA, this link provides an insight into
a literary career that spanned 45 years.
The Bhavan
Institute
http://www.bhavan.net
The Bhavan’s UK centre was
established in 1972 and offers individuals the opportunity to sample the
culture of the Indian sub-continent through classes and courses on performing
arts, music, languages and philosophy, yoga and meditation.
Theatre
Museum
http://theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk
The Theatre Museum archive contains
information on a number of Black and Asian theatre performances in the UK. A
useful guide to the museum’s resources on Black and Asian theatre has been
published in the Education section of the web site and is updated
regularly.
Third Text
http://www.waikato.ac.nz/film/research/thirdtext/thirdtextindexAD.html
Third Text continues to bring the most advanced scholarship in art
and visual culture from 'beyond postcolonial theory and identity politics'. The
central function of the website is to provide a keyword-searchable index of the
journal's since its foundation in 1987. The website is updated with the arrival
of every new issue.
Who’s who of South Asian women
http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/users/sawweb/sawnet/whoswho_sort.html
Names of both familiar and unknown South Asian women living
worldwide feature in this informative directory; find out more about
contributions made in the areas of science, politics, the arts, and sports
using the links featured.
Web links by category
