Horsecross Arts is offering local communities the chance to work off the worst of the season's excesses with a series of free music and dance workshops on an Indian theme.
The evening workshops which start on Monday 18 January will be led by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish/Indian dance group Dance Ihayami. They form part of Samaagam, one of the Home and Away events Horsecross Arts has created for Perth 800.
Held in various locations in Letham and Tulloch, workshop participants, who need no previous experience to attend, can choose to specialise in either dance or music.
The Samaagam project also involves S1 pupils from St Johns Academy and Primary Seven pupils from Our Ladys Primary and culminates in a performance on Wednesday 10 March when community participants and school pupils will have the chance to show off their new found skills on the Perth Concert Hall stage alongside musicians from the SCO, Dance Ihayami and world renowned sarod virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan.
Jenn Minchin, music development co-ordinator at Horsecross Arts said:
"Samaagam is an Indian word meaning 'confluence' or 'coming together', and that is certainly the objective of our Home and Away series for Perth 800. Perth 800 is a celebration for everyone so we have created three community based festivals in recognition of this of which Samaagam is the first. It's a great time of year to jump up off the sofa and try something new and we are anticipating a keen take up of the free workshop places."
The Carnival and Lightnight festivals will take place later in the year.
Open to anyone aged 16+ from anywhere in Perth and Kinross, the workshops start on Monday 18 January. To register for a free workshop place, contact Jenn Minchin jminchin@horsecross.co.uk or phone on 01738 477 722.