Kashif Ur Rehman 
Dialled In returns on 22nd July 2023 with its latest offering, Dialled In: The Park – an all-day arts and music festival showcasing South Asian culture, arts and creativity. A celebration of community, it will take place across two stages in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, and at William Morris Gallery, allowing audiences to experience Dialled In outdoors for the first time. It also marks Dialled In’s return to E17 where the team has been steadily growing its community presence. Support for the festival will be provided by the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
With its move to Lloyd Park, Dialled In: The Park will allow Dialled In to experiment with an outdoor space, and move beyond their established base of festival-goers to draw in a broader, more multi-generational audience. This will allow the festival to welcome more families, children and others from the local area, whether South Asian or not – with the aim of providing an annual touchpoint for the community, and bringing locals together across age, class, interests and demographics. Tickets are currently priced at £10 for all to keep entry affordable, while children under 12 can enter free.
Dialled In: The Park will coincide with an exciting new exhibition at William Morris Gallery in Lloyd Park, which celebrates the work of Delhi-born, London-based fashion designer Ashish Gupta. Ashish: ‘Fall In Love And Be More Tender’, is the first fashion exhibition the Gallery has ever held, and showcases over 60 of Ashish’s playful, uplifting and subversive designs. In homage to Ashish’s artistry and shared South Asian heritage, several festival activities will tie back to aspects of the exhibition. Workshops and activities will be taking place inside the Gallery, including intimate poetry performances from Mehfil, jewellery making workshops as well as a botanical walk with Misery alongside Akademi Dance Workshop, showcasing a fusion of two distinct dance genres originating halfway across the world from each other, and Dhol Academy, who will teach people how to play the revered instrument. Programmed highlights will include: a ‘Be More Tender’ video activation, broadly drawing on the theme of the exhibition – which allow festival attendees to record memories of love and tenderness; slogan t-shirt making, inspired by Ashish’s eye-catching slogan t-shirt designs; a community clothes swap, encouraging festival-goers to sustainably share in the joy of fashion, while contributing to the memories that fabric can carry over time.
In keeping with Dialled In’s focus on South Asian artistry, the wider Dialled In: The Park programme will spotlight new and established South Asian creatives from various disciplines including food, art, fashion, and of course music. Festival performers confirmed as part of this year’s line-up include drummer, composer and producer Sarathy Korwar, bringing his long-awaited solo live show to Dialled In, power-house singer-songwriter and Sarangi player Amrit Kaur, sultry Tamil artist PRVNA whose infectious blends have already become renowned, rising singer-songwriter sister duo Qazi & Qazi, as well as a slew of secret special guests.
DJs during the day include renowned producer and DJ Ahadadream, Club Kali co-founder DJ Ritu, perennial party starters Pxssy Palace, Bahrain duo Dar Disku, Pakistan-based DJ Lyla whose Boiler Room set has nearly a million views, sister duo Sanasesh & Rishy Malik are due to bring their eclectic sounds while Capital Xtra DJ Yasser, polymath and producer El Huxley, queer Pakistani/Egyptian musician and writer Aisha Mirza round out the bill. British-Tamil producer, selector & curator GoldTooth will also be going back to back with My Panda Shall Fly in a return of last year’s iconic set; expect special guests to jump on the mic.
Dialled In: The Park is the latest offering from Dialled In, and the fourth edition of their one-day festival since its inception in 2021. Other notable highlights from the team include
programming a classical concert at the Union Chapel, a stage at Printworks, a V&A late and the inaugural Boiler Room Pakistan. They have also produced an artistic residency in Nepal, which brought together South Asian creatives from around the world. The current 2023 Dialled In summer season has kicked off with SBTRKT’s album launch, and a takeover of Flippers roller disco.
Dhruva Balram, co-founder of Dialled In said: “We’re elated to be back in Waltham Forest, bringing the festival to an outdoor stage. It’s due to be our most ambitious idea yet, one which we know will bring in audiences across generations while continuing to showcase the depth and breadth of South Asian creativity.”
Councillor Rosalind Doré , from the London Borough of Waltham Forest said: “I’m delighted to welcome Dialled In back to the borough and can’t wait for them to bring the learning and networks they have built over this last year to Waltham Forest. By building on the connections they have been developing locally, including their work with Blackhorse Responders, the growth of Dialled In Festival will help our artists, businesses and young people to flourish, inspiring new collaborations and offering routes into creative careers.”
For more details visit www.dialled-in.com
By Nura Arooj