Kala Arts is a Community Interest Company based in the heart of the country, Leicester. We believe that we are all Artist and the creative process can connect communities and change the way we live our lives.
Kala Arts was Established in March 2023, we want to remove barriers to engagement through creative practices, devise activities and programmes to empower and inspire all communities members from all walks of life.
By generating safe spaces, communities can co-create projects, learn new transferable skills, develop cohesion through working together and learn about each other.
Kala Arts Mission
At Kala Arts, our mission is to ignite connections within communities through the power of creativity. We strive to design tailor-made, immersive workshops that reach marginalised communities across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. By partnering with local groups, we aim to foster unity, empowerment, and transformative growth, creating spaces where art becomes a force for change.
By generating safe spaces, communities can co-create projects, learn new transferable skills, develop cohesion through working together and learn about each other.
Kala Arts Mission
At Kala Arts, our mission is to ignite connections within communities through the power of creativity. We strive to design tailor-made, immersive workshops that reach marginalised communities across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. By partnering with local groups, we aim to foster unity, empowerment, and transformative growth, creating spaces where art becomes a force for change.
Our Vision
We envision a future where communities come together to co-create inspiring public art, celebrating diversity through vibrant exhibitions and open spaces. Our goal is to nurture creativity while offering opportunities to build transferable skills that enhance mental well-being and overall quality of life. Kala Arts is committed to creating platforms where art sparks conversation, connection, and a sense of collective achievement.
We envision a future where communities come together to co-create inspiring public art, celebrating diversity through vibrant exhibitions and open spaces. Our goal is to nurture creativity while offering opportunities to build transferable skills that enhance mental well-being and overall quality of life. Kala Arts is committed to creating platforms where art sparks conversation, connection, and a sense of collective achievement.
Our Impact
Kala Arts is proud of its strong partnerships within the arts community. We collaborate with Phoenix Cinema and Art House, offering free monthly family workshops that invite creativity into everyday life. We're also a proud partner of De Montfort University's Talent 25 project, where we deliver innovative workshops to engage families in creative expression. In addition, we've built relationships with Leicester's galleries and museums, providing creative support to schools and children at risk of exclusion.
Kala Arts is proud of its strong partnerships within the arts community. We collaborate with Phoenix Cinema and Art House, offering free monthly family workshops that invite creativity into everyday life. We're also a proud partner of De Montfort University's Talent 25 project, where we deliver innovative workshops to engage families in creative expression. In addition, we've built relationships with Leicester's galleries and museums, providing creative support to schools and children at risk of exclusion.
Our studio space at the LCB Depot offers a hands-on, inclusive environment, where groups of up to 12 can dive into arts and upcycling workshops, transforming everyday materials into extraordinary works of art.
Meet the Team
Sim Seema Mistry
(Founder & Director) is a British, Kenyan, South-Asian Multidisciplinary Community Artist. With a background in teaching she has developed a trauma informed, young person centred participatory practice in a range of mediums including paint, clay and dry media. She enjoys working in collaboration with community members from diverse backgrounds to co-create art that empowers, ignites and inspires. She draws upon her experiences of delivering Design Technology lessons and is able to utilise her subject knowledge of woods, metals, plastics, CAD, graphics and photography in an accessible way where there is no pressure to progress, instead rather to create and explore without expectations. She is passionate about the environment and hopes to share her love of being creative and making with people from all walks of life.
Julie Hogarth
She is a passionate advocate for community engagement and collaboration, currently residing in Cumbria but having spent the last 30 years in Leicester. Her dedication to fostering inclusive environments has been integral to the strategic planning and governance of Kala Arts, where her belief in the transformative power of creativity to empower individuals and communities.
She thrive in settings where diverse voices come together to explore new ideas, fostering an atmosphere of open-mindedness and innovation.
At Kala Arts, she is driven by the belief that every participant has a unique contribution to make. she focus' on creating collaborative experiences that celebrate the richness of our collective efforts, where individuals can develop skills that transcend artistic expression and positively impact their lives and communities.
she is committed to ensuring that our initiatives reflect a spirit of inclusivity and creativity, nurturing a space where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Together, we can shape a vibrant community that thrives on shared experiences and collective achievement.
She thrive in settings where diverse voices come together to explore new ideas, fostering an atmosphere of open-mindedness and innovation.
At Kala Arts, she is driven by the belief that every participant has a unique contribution to make. she focus' on creating collaborative experiences that celebrate the richness of our collective efforts, where individuals can develop skills that transcend artistic expression and positively impact their lives and communities.
she is committed to ensuring that our initiatives reflect a spirit of inclusivity and creativity, nurturing a space where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Together, we can shape a vibrant community that thrives on shared experiences and collective achievement.
