“I’ve always been involved in the arts,” Kaur says. “I grew up dancing, I started my singing career aged 20 and have been active in the hip hop and soul scenes, working in the industry here in Melbourne for the last 12 years. I do youth work too, teaching poetry, singing, different styles of dance to people alongside the music career – being part of that general art scene I’ve met a lot of other likeminded artists.”
It’s a wonder Kaur finds time to sleep because on top of all this she maintains a day job as a health case manager working with underprivileged youth, and is currently studying full-time for her Bachelor of Criminal Justice. “I feel we need a lot of social justice advocates in the community – dance and art are things that can really heal people, vulnerable people. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of so I try and do as much as I can.
A convert to Sikhism, Kaur regularly challenges stereotypes surrounding those predominantly Middle Eastern religions and feels she can be a connector between communities, bringing people together through art that challenges the misconceptions surrounding her religion. “With my dance, up until recently I was literally the only turbaned female Sikh dancer in the Australian competitive bhangra scene,” Kaur says. “Now, one other woman on my team has donned a turban, so we make two. My presence in the scene, particularly on stage in international competition makes a big statement, challenges stereotypes and will hopefully open up doors for others.
“At a recent competition I bonded with a young Malaysian Muslim dancer who wore a hijab, about our mutual challenges with altering costumes to accommodate religious headwear and our experiences of breaking the norms of the scene – it was fantastic and we’ve both received great support and acceptance from our respective teams.”
As part of the Brunswick Music Festival next month, Kaur, one of several like-minded female artists, will be taking part in Unity: International Women’s Day Concert. These intensely driven women will take to the stage to speak about issues that affect women the world over, uniting the common struggles experienced by the sex through art, song and of course, poetry. “Even when I’ve not been doing music, I’ve been able to explore poetry,” says Kaur, “And that’s what I’ll be performing at Unity.
“I’ll be doing a solo spoken word piece that speaks about how being in the thick of the struggle for change can be exhausting and take its toll, and that sometimes the most exhausting struggle can be the one at home within our own communities, particularly when it’s gender related or challenging patriarchy. My poem speaks to my sisters to hopefully inspire them to continue the fight and to realize their strength and resilience.
“As much as I enjoy what I do, there’s a bigger purpose for all this – I want to install positive values and I want to see that growth and connection in communities that comes out of the art.”
By Anna Wilson
