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.

It’s been a difficult 2 years for most of the world.  Since taking the leap into becoming an independent creative, I must say its been a challenging journey.

Its always been a distant dream in the past to have my own work space.  Just over one year ago I began making that dream a reality.  With the help of my family and good friends we took to building a studio. 

Over the many years I had not realized how much stuff / work I had accumulated.  Filling my house.  Waking up in the morning I was surrounded by my creations or records.  My come was not a traditional home as many people in the UK are use too. 

I needed to create some separation, detaching myself from work and having a home space.  I could not afford builders or contactors to do the build with all the rising material costs, so I took it upon my self to build it.  Thanks to guys like Brett Knight my old class mate who really had the skills to execute and help plan the build, Andy, Glyn, Larry, Dave, Ian and Dean who all helped out along the way.   

It has taken a year to build the studio and now that we are almost complete, it is time to put out some positive energy and make known my skillsets and abilities and availability to help you or your brand, organisation with your projects. 

From WordPress Websites, managing.  Video filming, editing, Photography, art direction and project management, mentoring and help developing others, my space accommodates all of these. 

I recently started a label and clothing brand which I will be running from here a lot more efficiently then in the past.

As of today look out for a weekly podcast update where I will be discussing some of the projects I have worked on and currently working on.  Some episodes my may feature special guests who pass by to discuss creativity and their world.

So please tune in and subscribe.

If you would like to contact me for possible work or collaborations, please feel free to contact me.

For the last 2 years I have not been able to speak about this project.  Mainly because it was too hard to believe it was actually happening.  The country had gone into lockdown and the world came to a halt as the pandemic first struck.  I was put onto furlough.  Asked to remain at home to stay safe while the government works on a plan to contain the virus.  

Whilst at home I threw myself into my creative work, taking full advantage of the time at home.  There came a time when the people in charge of this country put an end to the lockdown and allowed people to return to some sort of normality.  Gatherings were limited and people still had to social distance.  I was at a BBQ in london.  The host of the event came to me and showed me a pair of sneakers that took me by surprise.  I was a little offended that I had not had a pair sent to me due to my friendship with the artist.  I was pissed off.  

Returning home after the BBQ I was still feeling a certain way.  I sketched out an Ewing Sneaker and created a sneaker inspired by the Album Funk Your Head Up by the Ultramagnetic M.C’s.  I liked the style of how the guys dressed on that LP cover.  I like Timberlands.  I created a fake advert as if the sneaker was real.  I showed my friend Marc Davis who has been a colleague and long time collaborator. Both of us are not only fans of the group but over the years have worked with the group as well.  I have real friendships with all members of the group.   

I fooled Marc with the advert, he thought it was a real sneaker.  We decided to send the advert to whoever was running Ewing Athletics.  After some time we discovered David Goldberg is running the brand.  We contacted him and within an hour David contacted us setting up a meeting stating he wants to make this sneaker.  

I remember thinking, is this for real?.  After a discussion with David and Marc we decided to create something to mark 35 years of Critical Beatdown.  David graciously asked me to come up with some designs for the sneaker to present.  We used the Rouge Sneaker.  The reason I went with that was that I was thinking back to the guy’s interest in the Star Wars original movies.  Rebel Base comes to mind.  After agreeing on the design we discussed the packaging.  Again David left it to me to have full creativity on the box design and paper.  This led to me and Marc looking at the opportunity to do something very special here and came up with the idea to put an album together to go with the sneaker.  A Vinyl LP was too big to fit into the box so together with David we agreed to package the Sneakers with cassette tape.  Marc Reached out to TR Love who presented a live performance recording.  Marc got the tape mastered and passed on to me to select and edit the piece to be used.  I also got to design the cassette artwork .  I chose to put the sneaker on the cover to cement the package and that in years to come anyone that has this cassette will know it is paired with a sneaker.  

We then went into a meeting with Kool Keith which Ced Gee later Joined.  Me and Marc presented the project to him which took him by surprise.  The story behind how it came about impressed Keith.  So much so i remember when Ced Joined the meeting he said Ced, Pritt tell him how you made this happen.  Ced could not stop laughing.  I won’t forget that meeting.  Lots of great energy. 

We went into a further Zoom meeting, introducing David to both Ced and Keith.  David later met them in person.  Some months later David sent over the first pictures of the prototype sneaker.  It looked awesome.  They kindly sent me the first prototype of the shoe.  It was not a pair. Only one shoe was made.  I can’t explain the feeling when that box arrived and I opened a box containing a show I designed off the back of what was a fake advert.  A very proud moment.  

We have kept quiet about the project fearing it may not happen.  But it is.  As you read this, on this day the sneaker is released to the public. Look out for the special limited edition pack with the cassette for all the die-hard Ultra fans.  Yesterday. I had a meeting with David where he showed me the box.  I have not received my pair yet.  I would be lying if I said I am not excited to get my pair.    You can order your pair here.

Off the back of these Sneakers me and Marc Davis have formed a partnership under the banner THE BUSY BODIES after one of my favourite Laurel and Hardy Movies.  Both of us have a long history in this Hip Hop culture and both have been on our own journeys.  We both run record labels and have been friends for what is now about 20 years.  We have already completed our second sneaker with Ewing Athletics which will be released at a later date.  Working with David is a real pleasure. His heart is in the culture and has a passion and respect for our ideas and creativity.  We keep the business very simple and we create something special.