South Asian Heritage Month 2024

Tell us about yourself and your career aspirations growing up?

I am a fourth generation Indo-Trinidadian woman and lived in London and the North East for most of my adult life. Growing up in Trinidad meant I was surrounded by a fusion of diasporic communities and their cultures, traditions, customs, and religions. Heritage was part of everyday sights, sounds, smells, and touch. I was very inspired by my teachers at school, history, the arts, literature, books and reading. I had a broad educational background, a mixture of a British and Caribbean education system so I was exposed to everything from Shakespeare to Selvon, Achebe to Joyce. All in all, I was drawn to the arts and aspired towards this.

What was your career route to the role you have today?

My career journey spans from nursing to the arts, with a strong focus on community engagement, equality, and inclusion. Initially working in the NHS after earning a Diploma in General Nursing, I transitioned into the arts by completing a BA in Modern Art History and an MA in Museum Studies. I have worked in contemporary art galleries and museums, focusing on intercultural policy and community engagement programs in Tyneside and the North East. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD at Northumbria University, researching diasporic heritage-making practices among Indo-Trinidadians. I have developed archives for Black and Global Majority communities, represented on decolonising networks, and served as Vice Chair of Sangini, a charity using arts to empower marginalized women. My involvement in international heritage and diasporic networks underscores my commitment to cultural equity, justice, and community well-being through creative practices.

My research investigates Critical Heritage, Postcolonial and Decolonial frameworks and displaced religious heritage-making practices across Indo-Trinidadian diasporic communities in Trinidad and Canada. I am also involved in project management and development for a black and minoritised women’s organisation that uses arts and heritage to promote wellbeing though the provision of socio-cultural spaces and platforms for the women in the North East of England and beyond.

Is there a person from your cultural group or background who has inspired you?

Arundhati Roy, novelist, essayist, feminist, and environmental activist. Her essay, The Pandemic is a Portal (5 April 2020) from her book, the Ministry of Unhappiness, is a clear call to gain a better understanding of the politics of care that our global leaders and ourselves, need to exercise in this world – an entirely different world before the pandemic. My other inspiration is my mum, Mrs Shirley Bhagwandeen Boodhai. Her alma mater is The University of Life from which we all aspire to be granted an honorary award. I honour her for her wisdom, unconditional love, and care.

What does this year’s theme is "Free to Be Me" mean to you?

It means being able to thrive and not just survive. In order to do so, we need to recognise our commonalities and respect our differences.

Tell us about yourself and your career aspirations growing up?

I always had an interest working with technology since childhood as both my siblings are IT Professionals.

What was your career route to the role you have today?

I work as a Digital Health Specialist Nurse at The Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust, having begun my NHS career in 2005 after completing a degree in Nursing & Midwifery in India. My roles have included nursing tutor, staff nurse, family liaison officer, and palliative care lead, all of which have honed my nursing knowledge and skills. My main focus is to empower clinical staff to enhance patient care through technology. Additionally, as a board member of the Newcastle Hospitals NMAHP Researcher Development Institute Leadership Board, I contribute to healthcare innovations.

Completing the Shuri Network Digital Fellowship in 2023 has inspired me to empower other women to unlock their potential and build confidence. My extensive experience has fostered my confidence, resilience, and emotional maturity, with challenges serving as key learning opportunities.

Do you have any advice for South Asian people who may want to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or maths?

We must come out of our comfort zone. Confidence is the key. Being confident is an important trait of an effective leader as it means you can move past any fears and embrace self-assurance. You will meet many who will doubt your abilities; don't be one of them! Learn to prioritise your aspirations, your passion and most of all-yourself, because if you don't, no one else will. Always remember, respect is non-negotiable and there is no substitute for hard work. Let your talent shine through your work. We need to start taking the steps towards our dreams and try to instill resilience. My passion is to ensure that each one of us to aspire to be the best that we can be regardless of our economic, ethnic, or cultural background.

Tell us about yourself and your career aspirations growing up?

Growing up I have enjoyed keeping fit as much as I could with regular daily walks, playing football and playing cricket whenever possible. I always wanted to pursue a career in the NHS, I'm ambitious and passionate about making positive changes to people's lives.

I have a very young family and really enjoy spending time together on family days out and holidays abroad (whenever possible).

I am currently working as Commissioning Project Officer in the Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism team at Tees Valley place.

What was your career route to the role you have today?

After completing my university studies at Teesside university, I completed my PGCE qualification at Sunderland university.

I started my career in healthcare, supporting peer education with young people around substance misuse which quickly led to moving into a smoking cessation advisory role and health inequalities in NHS North Tees and Hartlepool.

This motivated me to push myself and study towards my Public Health Master's degree to help enhance my knowledge and challenge myself.

These roles and learnings helped developed my skills, networks and experiences which enabled me to progress into my current commissioning delivery role across Tees Valley.  

Over the last 15 years of working in the NHS, I have taken up the challenge to undertake additional training to continuously develop and enhance myself such as the NHS Stepping Up Program and Mary Seacole training.

How has your heritage influenced your career?

I am a proud Muslim, and my religion has instilled many great principles and values in making me the person I am. Many of these values and principles are what I implement daily. My parents have instilled discipline and respect in my upbringing which are key factors in pretty much anything I do in my working life. I always try to treat people how I would like people to treat myself.

Is there a person from your cultural group or background who has inspired you?

There was a positive role model from my cultural group who I really looked up to (from a very young age) and have great respect for. I have always endeavoured to achieve even a small amount of his success by making positive changes in people's lives.

His role was in Public Health and encouraged the local community to take up more physical activities to live a healthier lifestyle, which I instantly took a liking too and something I have implemented in my own and my families daily lifestyles too.

Tell us about yourself and your career aspirations growing up?

I am Padma Rao, Director at Sangini, a Global majority women-led organization in South Shields, North East England. I am a contemporary visual artist, a visiting lecturer, and a published poet with over 20 years of experience in the arts, community development, EDI, and women's issues. At Sangini, I lead strategic development, creative programming, and sustainability to ensure the representation of Global majority women's voices. Growing up in an artist's household in India, I was surrounded by music, art, and literature, and by 19, I had published a collection of poems and worked as an editor and radio station worker. My work, both as an artist and at Sangini, focuses on equality, feminism, identity, and displacement of Global majority women. Sangini has pioneered an arts-based approach to addressing social, health, and well-being issues for women and girls from Global majority and socially excluded groups. Our projects foster identity, resilience, and culture, providing support, advocacy, and therapeutic activities, leading to positive outcomes such as employment, education, and public participation for the women we serve.

What was your career route to the role you have today?

I came to Britain in 1981 to join my husband and found myself in a new world where my talents and cultural sensitivities had little recognition. Initially, I focused on settling down, learning European art history, and attending evening art classes. My career as an arts administrator began from a personal need to address the absence of diverse narratives in the cultural landscape, which soon became a political motivation. While working as a secretary at Gateshead Hospital, I volunteered for Kala Sangam, a South Asian dance organization, where Dr. Geetha Upadhyay mentored me in the arts sector. I secured a fellowship for Black, Asian, and Chinese professionals from the Arts Council of England, leading to a role as Diversity Officer at the Arts Council North East. There, I delivered national policies regionally and strengthened the Global majority arts sector. My association with Sangini during this time inspired me to help the community directly. After eight years, I left the Arts Council to join Sangini as a Project Coordinator, aligning with my vision for change within global majority communities.

Is there a person from your cultural group or background who has inspired you?

I grew up in India with many strong female role models, including Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi. The woman who inspired me most is Amrita Pritam, a novelist and a poet who wrote mainly in Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindi. A feminist writer who has written more than 100 books and has received many coveted awards for her work that brought women’s issues to the forefront.

Do you have a message for South Asian Heritage Month?

In a world that is increasingly dividing, the South Asian Heritage Month helps to bring a focus on the value of diversity and enrich our lives through learning and respecting each other’s cultures.

What does This year’s theme "Free to Be Me" mean to you?

It means authenticity, respect, acceptance, and celebration of diversity in every aspect of one’s life. It is a powerful message about being able to live authentically and be respected for who you are, without the fear of persecution, judgement, or exclusion from others.