As the sun sets on Orange, California, colored lights spring up along the façade of Marion Knott Studios at Dodge College, Chapman University. A crimson carpet tracks up to the front entrance. It’s a crisp November evening, but no one minds the cold. Lights flash over vivid apparel as attendees pose for photos. This reception marks the opening night of the annual Sikh Arts and Film Festival (SAFF).
The evening is a Maharaja and Maharani event, the Sikh version of a black tie party. The guests, Sikh and non-Sikh alike embrace the Hindi words for “king” and “queen”, with ladies adorned in traditional Punjabi attire, and gentlemen in suits. The crowd of old and young revelers mingles amidst the stirring sound of traditional dhol drums and the spicy aroma of North Indian food.
The SAFF at Dodge College began in 2011 with a collaboration between the non-governmental organization Sikhlens and Chapman University. As an offshoot of Sikhlens, the festival’s purpose is to celebrate Sikh culture through the mediums of art, music, film, and literature. Over a weekend in November, varying each year, the classrooms, movie theater, and soundstages in Marion Knott Studios are converted into show/discussion rooms for submitted artwork to be displayed and performed. Chapman students attend along with members of the Sikh community and invited guests. The three days are arranged into clusters that span from morning to evening, and focus on everything from youth culture, to social problems and international representation of their community. Each year, a unique theme is chosen to encompass all of the work. This year’s focus is Sikhs in World War I. Past themes have included Sikhs in Africa, and Sikhs in North America.
Sitting down with Bicky Singh, founder of the Sikhlens group, was as enlightening as the festival itself. Sporting a short graying beard and a bright orange turban that matched his polo shirt, Bicky shifted in his chair, fervently expressing his thoughts on his organization. His warm brown eyes revealed the ardor he holds for his cultural heritage. Growing up in a Sikh family, Bicky was distressed by the traditions imposed on young Sikhs by their elders, who pushed their children into engineering or medicine. There seemed no option for creative expression. As he grew up, he fostered his own attraction to art until he began to appreciate its true merit in society. “At the end of the day its all about story-telling” Bicky explained. For him, stories, in all mediums, are more than simple craft: they are a means by which a culture, a religion, a people can articulate their experience of the world. With this firm belief in mind, Bicky set out to create a platform for “Sikhcentric” artwork that would give a voice to a culture that had for so long been fenced under the title of Southeast Asian art.
Bicky saw the Sikhlens project as a chance to celebrate his heritage, and an opportunity to end social intolerances surrounding his community. Once a foundation of education and film study was established through the connection to Chapman, Bicky seized the occasion to inspire a dialogue on discrimination and change concerning Sikh culture. After the events of 9/11, and the subsequent prejudice towards Sikhs, Bicky was inspired further. “it is imperative for us to create a digital voice for our community,” he said. “A digital voice can move in faster velocity outside”. Bicky is fully aware of the power and reach of cinema. It was because of this that Sikhlens went to Chapman for assistance. “Education inwards and outwards” became the goal.
By the second year of SAFF at Dodge College, donors to the school, including the Bhathal and Sandhu families, began raising funds for scholarships awarded to aspiring film artists. Sikh filmmakers with fewer resources were suddenly able to enhance their work through talent grants. With the aid of Dodge professor Jeff Swimmer, Chapman students also turned to Sikhcentric projects. Travel courses were set up, sending Dodge student filmmakers to India to document the stories of the Sikhs.
Bicky’s gentle gaze intensified when asked the meaning behind these financial awards. “Our community should seriously look at investing in universities,” he said. For Sikhlens, arts education provides an opportunity to Sikh familial culture to expand its horizons through art. By bolstering the place of art in the Sikh community, Sikhlens hopes to encourage a closer look into the culture, one that will quash prejudice and motivate a new generation to open their minds to dialog through creativity.“These younger people are artists at heart,” said Bicky, affirming that they “need their stories to be told.”
For Sikhlens, the SAFF is a doorway to transformation. Promotion of Sikhcentric art should go hand in hand with visits to a Gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship. “Both preserve our heritage. One sustains us spiritually, the other strengthens our cultural roots,” Bicky said. Art and heritage, he believes, “crosses the boundary…it has no barriers”. Bicky hopes to grow Chapman’s relationship with Sikhlens, maintaining the importance of enfranchising young voices. “Students are our warriors to combat discrimination”. While this war may not yet be won, Bicky Singh remains a self-proclaimed optimist. “It’s a journey,” he said with a solemn nod. “We are still a few years away.”
