We're thrilled to announce that Davinder Singh of Punjabi Roots has been selected as the recipient of the Four Nations Outdoor Arts Bursary 2026.
The Four Nations Outdoor Arts Bursary supports artists and companies new to outdoor performance. to develop new work, which is then toured across festivals in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales throughout the summer. Davinder has just returned from the programme’s residential week in Brecon, Wales, where this year’s national cohort gathered to develop their ideas, experiment and learn from experienced producers.
Punjabi Roots is a Bradford-based cultural organisation dedicated to celebrating and sharing Punjabi heritage through music, dance, arts and education. Led by Davinder, the organisation has built a strong reputation for engaging workshops, performances and community projects that promote cultural understanding and inclusion. The Four Nations bursary marks an exciting new chapter: a period of development that will culminate in the premiere of a brand new outdoor performance at this summer’s festivals.
Davinder was drawn to the opportunity because of what it made possible for Punjabi Roots at this particular moment in their development. He told us:
"Through Four Nations, we're aiming to expand Punjabi Roots’ work from classroom and community-based workshops into dynamic, outdoor performance experiences. We are particularly excited to explore how our music, dance, and cultural storytelling can engage audiences in open-air spaces, creating immersive experiences that are accessible to all."
"BPH has provided invaluable support that has helped prepare Punjabi Roots for this opportunity and the development of new work. Their guidance and mentoring have strengthened our project planning and creative approach, while their networks have connected us with artists, venues, and festivals that align with our ambitions. We're now at a stage where we want to experiment, collaborate, and refine how our work translates into large-scale, accessible environments. The bursary provides the ideal support and framework to explore this next step."
The residency in Brecon
The week in Brecon gave Davinder dedicated time and space to develop the new work away from the pressures of day-to-day delivery, testing how music, dance and cultural storytelling could work in open-air settings and thinking through everything from audience movement to sound projection and visual design.
"The residency provided a focused and supportive space to develop our outdoor performance work and experiment with new ideas. We were able to test how our work could translate into outdoor environments, considering factors such as audience engagement, movement, and sound projection. It allowed us to stretch our thinking around creative presentation - exploring not just performance, but how visual identity, props, and portable sound systems could enhance the experience. Collaborating with other artists and receiving constructive feedback from producers really helped us refine our approach and think more strategically about accessibility and sustainability."
A new work in the making
At the heart of Punjabi Roots’ new outdoor performance is Tandoori Tunes (working title), an interactive duo piece currently in development. The work blends live Dhol drumming with Brass sounds and dynamic audience interaction, and Davinder describes it as playful, unique and a significant departure from anything Punjabi Roots has made before.
"Tandoori Tunes represents a new direction for our work that includes colourful visual elements, portable performance setups and additional cultural activities including arts, crafts and dance. We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this project and the opportunity to bring Punjabi Roots’ work to outdoor festival audiences. Developing this new work and exploring interactive, multi-disciplinary performance has pushed us creatively and opened up new ways to engage communities with Punjabi culture. Looking ahead, we aim to expand the project to include many more artists, musicians and dancers, creating a larger-scale performance that will be even more dynamic, immersive, and impactful. This work represents an important step in growing our practice, reaching wider audiences, and delivering culturally meaningful and highly enjoyable experiences. We’re grateful for the support of initiatives like Four Nations, which allow us to experiment, collaborate, and bring ambitious ideas to life."
Coming to a festival near you
The work will premiere at BD: Festival in Bradford this July, before the tour continues to Surge Festival in Glasgow, Spraoi International Street Arts Festival in Waterford, Ireland, and Green Man Festival in Wales.
Alison McIntyre, Creative Instigator at Bradford Producing Hub, and mentor for the Four Nations programme, shared:
"“It was absolutely fantastic to see Davinder and the other artists involved in the Four Nations programme explore and develop their ideas at the residency in Brecon. They have really bonded as a group and have benefitted from peer support as well as through the intensive mentoring on offer as part of the programme. Everyone has come out of the residency with really strong ideas about how to move forward, and I’m really excited to see their performances in Bradford in July.”
Look out for the BD:Festival programme to catch Davinder in Bradford. In the meantime, follow their progress on Instagram.
Congratulations, Davinder!