Today I get to present a project that’s been 2 years in the making. Alongside Marc Davis of Black
Pegasus Records we present our collaboration with Ewing Athletic and the artist Common.

This is our second project together. Our first was the Ultra Sneaker which celebrated the Iconic
Album Critical Beatdown. Whilst working on that sneaker both me and Marc decided that we needed to go under one name for future collaborations. The name we chose I think reflected both our lifestyles and journeys. We may not be the 20 or 30 designers here we are in our 50s with a wealth of experience and real passion for this culture. Something we both have been individually exploring and doing things in since our teens. Hence the name ‘The Busy Bodies’ actually is a very real reflection of who we are.

The name it’s self for anyone who cares comes from my one of my favourite Laurel & Hardy movies
of the same name.The Busy Bodies is made up of Marc Davis and myself only.

After the Ultra sneaker came out naturally we both were excited and hungry about what we could do
next. Marc having a long relationship with the artist Common made the suggestion to discuss with
me his vision and his plan. Common being such a high-profile artist and busy as he is, the strategy
we took was to create the sneaker and packaging ready for production and present a final product to
hopefully impress and get the green light.

The theme of the design was in line with what we did with the Ultra sneaker and in line with Ewing
Athletics already ongoing line of sneakers celebrating iconic Hip Hop albums.

Ewing for those that don’t know much about them was a line and brand created by Patrick Ewin
NBA Basketball star. On the court, his rival was Michael Jordon who we all know for the Jordan
Brand. Patrick Ewing took a very bold step and decided to create his own brand not attached to any
of the major brands such as Nike, puma or Adidas and create an affordable sneaker that not only
functioned on the court but had a style of its own and fitted in with the popular fashion and street
culture of the time.

Ewings as we know them came from the greatest era In hip hop. The era is known as the golden era of
hip-hop. They carry the flag for that. That is the reason these collaborations are important. Ewing
understands its connection to hip-hop culture. Commons first lp came out in that era and yes Common wore Ewing Sneakers. So this project in its very roots is a connection to the artist and the brand.

When we finished the set of designs before presenting them to Common we handed them
over to Ewings team for them to present them in their CAD drawing format which we were able to
them finetune. Getting Marc and Common together in person is not easy. Locations and schedules are crazy. One thing knowing Marc for a long long time was the dynamics of his friendship with the artist. Some years ago I worked on the Common 45 that Marc put out on Black Pegasus, the follow-up single with No i.d. I also worked with them recreating their lightbulb logo. So I got to experience and see how that relationship and friendship worked.

Marc is a worker, he sees a project through and when it comes to Common he knows that whatever
he says he is going to do, he will do it. Common supports and values Marcs continuously strives to
create and deliver actual products to market. So I can see Common values with Marc and gives him
access and time. When Marc presented the sneaker to Common he loved it and wanted to do this collab with us and Ewing. Common introduced Kevin Wolf to both me and Marc and said he would
handle all the business.

Talking to Kevin is where we started to tweak the sneaker I started to think about how we can push
the boundaries and improve the product even more. When we did the ultra Sneaker the Gucci
pattern that we put all over the sneaker was printed. On the common sneaker, we wanted to put the
train map featured on the album cover across the sneaker. Doing a little research I was able to find
a strong multi-coloured thread which uses the same colours as the train map. Using this added
another texture and layer to the sneaker.

Also when the prototype was finally delivered. I didn’t like the colour of the thread used on the
Common logo on the back of the sneaker and a lightbulb on the tongue so I asked for that to be
changed to match the colour used on the Patrick Ewing Signature. So as far as I know Marc is the
only person with the original sneaker.

At the same time whilst I working on the creative Marc had been doing his research and started to
pursue the idea of creating also an action figure to drop in line with the sneaker’s release. My role in
that was minimal I just had to scan a few images. Marc led and delivered that.

Maybe at the end of October or November, the sneakers were delivered to the Ewing site. The first pair
went to Common which he created this video for above. The whole experience on this project was
really good. The Team at Ewing are fantastic. Common and the team at Ewing gave us so much
control over the creation and when we made changes they worked with us to solve our issues.
Fast forward to now. I

Thanks to everyone that made it down to the last event held at Cafe Artum back on August 12th. The event was programmed only the week before and was aimed to celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop.

I decided to screen a version of my film Looking for the Perfect Beat. This was a free event. It being such a significant mark in this culture we went the extra mile and fellow artists Tha 4orce, DJ Sparra & Jay King came together to turn this screening into an event.

When we talk about Hip Hop too often we focus on the music and not the whole culture. This event was a stage where we were able to share our experiences as well as highlight some of the very special guests in attendance whose contribution to the scene played a big part in my journey. Hanifa the first and most prominent B-Girl in UK history was there alongside Juice 126 and Zuki who alongside Crise are deeply rooted in the Graffiti scene from its very beginning in the city of Birmingham.

The Film focuses on the Many of Hip Hop pioneers and innovators’ journeys and personal experiences as they were creating this thing called Hip Hop.

On the day and not planned our new LP Setting Standards by Tha 4Orce dropped and was delivered by the pressing plant. So we took this opportunity to present it.

the event was a success and every seat in the venue was taken. Huge thanks to the team at Hockley and Cafe Artum for helping and making sure everything ran smoothly without and issues. We decided to move forward and package this event as there is no other crew in the UK that can deleiver what we can. So if you would like us to come to your city, town to present or talk about our journey do get in touch.

Cafe Artum alongside the team at the Hockley Social Club to celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop have asked me to program an event to be held in Cafe Artum on the 12th of August.

I joined the team at HSC over 2 years ago as a dj and video/photography collaborator. The owners always made it very clear to me how important it is to them that Hip hop music is represented in their venue.

My first time djing there was alongside Birmingham Veteran E Double D. So aside from me just playing there, there are many other DJs there who do play quality hip hop music. James Swindourne who is one of the owners has always been keen to get me involved in there events and has been watching and paying attention to my journey for many years now and alongside Jayson Wynters from Cafe Artum they have been programming with their team led by Andrew Milford and George been putting on some very intersting cultural events in the Cafe Artum Space.

August the 12th to mark and celebrate 50 years of hip hop I will be screening a version of my film alongside my guests DJ Sparra ( Former DMC Champion) and tha 4Orce ( recording artist). The Event will start at 2pm and the film shall start 2.30 pm sharp. The film is 96 min long and then be followed by a quesions and answers with my self and my guests.

The Q&A will be streamed live via IG. If you can not make it tune in from 4pm UK time. The event is free and the film itself is made and directed by a local unfunded artist. In the words of Lord Finesse, ‘This is a film for us by us’.

We are also proud to present at this event our new lp Setting Standards 3. Our new release arrives from the plant this week so that this event will be the first time this album will be available to purchase. The Album is by tha 4Orce who will be in attendence. Get your copy signed at this event.

Recently I got to work with Masterchef Winner Dan Lee. I met Dan at Birmingham’s Hockley Social Club. The venue that I’ve been involved with for almost 3 years.

The interesting thing about the venue it is the place where creatives, artists, and people in media go to gather. i put the word Social in the title of the venue to use and network there regularly.

Dan Lee has been trading there for the last 3 months. He and his team serve some of the most delicious Chinese delicacies.

Recently I started to work at a school and we held a Masterchef competition where I arranged one of the prizes as the winners get to meet Dan. In return, I offered my services as a photographer and filmmaker. Here are some of my pictures from the special event day held at Highbury Hall, Mosely Birmingham July 30th.

If you would like to do a portrait session with me. Very relaxed experience. Do get in touch. My aim is to bring out the best in you and present you at your best. I have added some pictures taken over the past week.

Putting my skills to work. From the time of a child, I have always been around cameras. Due to my work on films, videos and music, its been often forgotten that a lot of the imagery is taken and created by me.

I’m one of the few people in the City if any, who has been involved in the creative spectrum of street culture from Hip hop in is early days, Graffiti, photography film and even crossing into the realm of fashion designing sneakers for Ewing Athletics.

I am now offering the service on weekends to spend time with you in the city and take some Pritt-styled shots. Create that iconic image of yourself or even a gift for a friend.

I am charging £50 an hour to bring out the best in you and create an iconic image that captures and defines who you are.

If you would like to enquire or find out more feel free to contact me on the site or even IG.

Here is the 3rd Episode from our India 75 food stories. In partnership with BCU (Birmingham City University) the team of Pritt Kalsi (UK) & Amar Kate (India) once again to continue our food-themed stories.

This episode features Kulwant Kaur, Inspired by her parent’s kindness to others embarked on a journey to address the growing issues of homelessness in Southall, west London. through donations, her mother would cook and distribute food to those in need. her mother who was a practising Sikh believed in the idea of Seva ( Selfless service to others).

Kulwant further looked at the issues and challenges faced by the Homeless where a lot of the time English is not their first language have very little awareness of places and services that can help them. Not alone Kulwant is supported by many members of the Southall Community who want to help. This film looks Kulwant’s story to further raise awareness of her work and cause.

When we originally started the project our main theme was identity and how food is a constant reminder of who we are and where we came from. In this film, you will see how the community prepares and distribute food, in many cases a reminder of home and some of the flavours that for even a small moment comforts them.

We would like to pass on our regards to the Matharu family and pay respects to Mrs Surjit Kaur who sadly passed on while making this film.

If you have a passion for the food of India, we are looking for people who want to share their Indian food stories. Please feel free to contact me.

We are proud to announce Diggers issue 2 is now available to order. Limited to only 100 copies printed you can now order from our store. Shipping date Nov 10/11.

The magazine created by Pritt Kalsi delves inside his world and bubble giving people an inside view into his journey. A visual fly-on-the-wall perspective a behind-the-scenes diary captured by himself and by some of the very talented artists and photographers who support his vision.

Modelled upon gallery photo books compared to the normal presentations produced by art houses you get a few extra pages here.

Pay attention to the QR codes that in this issue take you to over 5 hours of footage from Pritts Archive. As well as leading to web sides and content created by some of the featured artists and photographers.

Order your copy here now.

Wer are proud to announce Diggers issue 2 is now available to order. Limited to only 100 copies printed you can now order from our store. Shipping date Nov 10/11.

The magazine created by Pritt Kalsi delves inside his world and bubble giving people an inside view into his journey. A visual fly-on-the-wall perspective a behind-the-scenes diary captured by himself and by some of the very talented artists and photographers who support his vision.

Modelled upon gallery photo books compared to the normal presentations produced by art houses you get a few extra pages here.

Pay attention to the QR codes that in this issue take you to over 5 hours of footage from Pritts Archive. As well as leading to web sides and content created by some of the featured artists and photographers.

Order your copy here now.

Earlier this year I was selected to join a varied group of creatives and performers from all over the UK and India to engage in a project to mark 75 years of India’s Independence.

The project

led by Rajinder Dudrah and his team from BCU ( Birmingham City University ). India-UK Creative Industries at 75: Opportunities and Challenges is an online AHRC and Innovate UK funded project that brings together artists and related user-communities in India and the UK across three strands from the creative industries: screen industries, live performance, and fashion.

Together, the artists will share examples from their crafts and engage in dialogue regarding the possibilities, challenges and resources that have affected their respective industries past, present and future, but with a particular focus on working through the COVID pandemic. The project provides a space for online networking and the creation of new collaborative short artistic outputs, particularly as India marks 75 years of independence in 2022. 

The project will connect Indian and UK artists who will not have worked with each other before through an online network. The network aims to nurture cross-cultural dialogue to enable the participating artists to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges, opportunities and potential resources available to each other and to create new artistic outputs. The project brings 3 different yet related strands into conversation with each other during individual strand workshops and during our final project showcase.

Project outcomes

The 75th year of Indian Independence offers a fitting period to build on new opportunities and overcome challenges of the past, present and future related to the India-UK creative economy. Thus, the outputs and impact of the project will include:

1. Engaging artists and user communities through online events.

The three workshops and the final two-day project showcase symposium will facilitate public exchange and dissemination of new ideas and current issues pertaining to the India-UK creative industries. Outputs arising from the workshops might well include: an illustrated manifesto, a podcast, an audio-visual presentation, a toolkit, a short audio-visual production to be hosted on the BCU website etc.

2. Project Website

The project website and associated social media will be used as a public-facing medium and a repository of information and networking possibilities for our India-UK artists and related user communities.

3. Policy Recommendations Document

To make our project findings useful for a wider community of industry professionals and user communities, we will produce a policy recommendations document that will focus on the challenges, opportunities and resource needs of the participants. This will be an open access illustrated document arising from the activities of outputs 1 and 2. The recommendations will be presented to key cultural stakeholders across the India and UK creative industries and related sectors. An A4 one to two pages summary of the document will be translated into 5 different Indian languages as identified by the artists so as to advertise the project and its findings beyond English language users (e.g. Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telegu). A free downloadable pdf copy of the report and the translated summaries will be available on the project website, with links shared via our project’s collective social media.

I was put into a team made up of Producers, Directors Film makers and Moving Image creaters all based in India. I did feel a little out of place at first being like the old man in the team but as we engaded in meeting after meeting, getting to know each other that was no issue at all. A sparkling bunch, whose work as you will see speaks volumes. They are new generation of thinkers and creators detached from what many can say is the Bollywood image and culture celebrated throughout India. They are a rising community inclusive and representive of the large diverse people that make up the jewel that is India.

Amar Kate

A Creative Producer, Director, Editor & Marketing Strategist who works in the creative industry as a freelancer. He has a Bachelors Of Skills Degree in Mass Communication majoring in Audio-Visual Production from Symbiosis International University. Having about 5 years of experience In this industry, from working as an intern on the set, to managing the lighting department, the sound team and the camera department, to directing his first ever film, starting his journey in this industry.

For his Undergraduate thesis, with Marathi being his mother tongue, He worked on the induction of Marathi cinema, it’s subsequent rise and the comparison of Marathi Cinema to Mainstream Bollywood cinema. Thus, researching the likes of Dada saheb phalke, V. Shantaram, Prabhat Films, Rajkamal Kalamandir, Maharashtra Film Company, Baburao Painter etc. For his final year degree project he made a documentary about the pioneers of Underground Hip-Hop/B-Boy Dancers in India.

‘I aim to innovate the creative industry using both my skill and the technological advancements to make the audience connect to the content I create and have them engage with it more than ever.’

Harkat Studios

Based in Maubia & Berlin the team, create & curate experiences and exhibitions as well providing performance space. The team from Harkat consisted of 3 members Sapan, Mashu and Mika who together are behind some really inspiring projects themselves.

Do check out their Instagram here

Together after some deliberation settled on a method of presntation and theme for our project. One of the Topics we did want to look at was this ‘Third Place/Space’. In my case how I felt when traveling to India that I did not feel like i was being treated as if I was Indian. My family there treated me as that but anywhere else I was treated a foreigner, Here in the UK even though at I identify as being British it is often the case that i am reminded I not fully accepted here either. I am in a third space, this is also felt by many Indians who may come from different states living with India but terrotories far from their native homes. The North East has recently come under the spotlight as very little is known about the people and their culture. They are not represented at all well or even identified as being Indian even though they are very proud of being Indian.

This conversation then headed towards a rabbit hole discussion of food and how Indians identify with the food they can relate to their native origins. In my mothers case from leaving India at 1 years old to be brought up in Nairobi Kenya, then moving to the UK in 1968. Food help communities and families together. At times it is difficult to find some of the ingredients that can be found in India. People had to adapt and be creative fusing what was available to traditional reciepes and methods of cooking.

An ambitious project, a challanging task considering all of our loacations and the budget available. A small budget for film makers. Together we made a pact and they we agreed let’s make something special and put an effort in. This is was a combined team effort. Mashu took lead setting some objectives and truly came up with the idea for our presntation. I filmed my part of the project utalizing Zoom to keep the team involved and give them to space to ask questions while on the shoot. They had selelcted thier subject character Aqui a young artist who has left her state and relocated to Bombay. She talks about her journey and the challanges and obsticles she faces in her past and day to day whilst reflecting on the food that comforts her and reminds her of home.

Two very different characters, with two very different journeys but connected to their roots. The expeiricence was a very pleasant one for me, I would like to say I got very lucky with the team I was part of. The energy was right and we agreed to work together towards our goal. Everybody involved had the skill set to make this a very comfortable enjoyable project. We even discussed maybe pushing this towards a network and future developing.

Below are the two episodes we created. A united team from the UK and India presentating to mark 75 years of India’s Independence alongside Birmingham City Universtiy.

A week later me and Amar Kate got to catch up and reflect on the project. Discussing it’s beginnings and the Journey we all took part in. How we came up with our idea, the process from conception to its execution.

Saturday 10th September – We presented our films to all those involved with the BCU led project.Our films were well received with a lot of positive feedback. I would like to thank all the members of the team I was part of.