APNA Arts (Apna is Hindi for ‘ours’) was originally set up in 1988 in Nottingham. It was established initially to organise a Festival of Asian Arts and Music, which brought together artists and musicians from across Britain in celebrating South Asian art and performance. This became the Nottingham Mela. The organisation grew to include several arms, providing support, training and networking opportunities for South Asian practitioners, while still continuing to promote the Arts and Education through exhibits, festivals and projects. Their remit included visual arts, theatre, music (contemporary and traditional) and decorative arts. They were based and exhibited in Nottingham Community Arts Centre.
In 2003 APNA Arts and EMACA (East Midlands African Caribbean Arts) Visual Arts formed a partnership and created The New Art Exchange, Nottingham, a cultural facility designed to further Black contemporary arts.
From the guide to the Apna Arts, 1988-1999, (Special Collections, Brunel University Library)
