Based in Montréal, the Kabir Cultural Centre is a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to celebrating South Asian classical and contemporary arts while fostering dialogue with cultures from around the world. Under the leadership of General Manager TK (Raghu) Raghunathan, who has been involved since the Centre’s founding in 2002, the organization has grown from small community music gatherings into a vibrant cultural hub presenting concerts, dance, film, and literary programming.
Through inclusive initiatives such as the NEXGEN MultArts Festival and the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal, the Centre supports emerging artists while building intercultural bridges within the city and across Quebec. By sharing South Asian classical arts with broader audiences, the Kabir Cultural Centre works to preserve an important cultural heritage while contributing to a more diverse, creative, and connected community.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
Kabir Cultural Centre, a multidisciplinary artistic organization based in Montreal, celebrates South Asian classical and contemporary arts in dialogue with the cultures of the world. Its inclusive programming promotes diversity, equity, and accessibility, while creating intercultural bridges and supporting emerging artists. Through its initiatives, the Centre contributes to a vibrant, open, and innovative Montreal, where the arts become a driving force for social cohesion and shared creativity. The centre has set itself the following vision:
What problem does it aim to solve?
The centre believes that South Asian classical arts are part of world heritage and they need to be nurtured and shared with the Canadian public. Classical arts can not only provide entertainment but also lead to personal introspection and transformation. Individual transformation is a key to societal transformation in a world otherwise dominated by wealth and weaponry. In this process, the centre provides a platform for Canadian artists in this domain who are underrepresented in the cultural milieu of Canada.
The centre is the only multi-disciplinary South Asian cultural organization in Quebec, and it also aims to augment the offerings of South Asian cultural presentations in regions of Quebec away from Montreal.
When did you start/join it?
I have been associated with it since its inception in December 2002.
What made you want to get involved?
I was brought up in India with a vast exposure to cultural elements such as music, dance, literature and cinema. The centre was conceived to keep the South Asian diaspora together by emphasizing what is common to their countries of origin, namely the classical arts and also to build bridges with the other communities in Canada. In addition to this, I was functionally bilingual and was capable of networking in Montreal from the very beginning.
What was the situation like when you started?
When we started, the only activity was classical music being performed in the basements of some members of the community, attended mostly by a small circle of first-generation Indian diaspora.
How has it changed since?
Kabir Cultural Centre brought out the music by registering the organization and holding events in well-known venues in Montreal. Since then, it has added classical dance, book club, poetry club and film festival to its repertoire. Membership is open to the public, and our activities are recognized by various arts councils and Heritage Canada.
What more needs to be done?
As we have lost almost all of the first-generation diaspora attendees due to aging, dissemination among the larger public and their attendance is of crucial importance. So the centre is engaged not only in presenting concerts but also in other annual projects such as arts appreciation (called ARTASIA) and Emerging Artists Festival (called NEXGEN MULTIARTS FESTIVAL).
We need better funding (and stable funding) from public funders. We are also in search of private foundations engaged in cultural philanthropy to support us.
How can our readers help?
Readers can help by:
– attending our events
– communicating information about our events to their contacts
– make donations through CanadaHelps, mentioned on our website
– keep us in mind if there is an opportunity for (end-of-life) legacies / planned donations
– communicating with us through our website to give us their opinions and viewpoints
Do you have any events coming up?
Yes, we have four concerts this month one each in Sherbrooke, Montreal, Quebec and Saguenay. Details can be seen here.
Where can we follow you?
Website | Facebook | Instagram
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
There are many in Montreal. Personally, I am touched by the work done by Welcome Hall Mission. The compassion and care that they bring to their charitable work are essential in all walks of life, irrespective of the activities pursued.
