For the first day of our ‘12 Days of Milap’ we’re taking you back to where it all began – the story of Milap’s very first concert. This is a story of vision, faith, community and taking risks… the very heart of what Milap is all about.

When Milap was created in 1985 to bring Liverpool’s Indian community together, our founders saw a bigger opportunity: to share the richness of Indian culture with the wider city. Their mission was to inspire cultural understanding and awareness, using the arts as their main vehicle.

That journey began with Milap’s inaugural concert at the Bluecoat on 30th July 1986, featuring two young and then-emerging Indian classical musicians: Zakir Hussain and Shiv Kumar Sharma –  long before they became global icons. In a world without social media or smart phones, the concert was promoted through hand-delivered leaflets and posters across Liverpool. It was a huge risk and a leap of faith, unlike anything any organisation in the city had attempted before.

Half an hour before the performance, only three tickets had sold. Understandably, organisers were quite apprehensive, but the artists remained warm and extremely gracious, joking, “We will have a nice private concert!” Then, at 7:25pm, everything changed and the hall was suddenly full. People filled every seat, sat on the floor and queued out of the door. The founders couldn’t believe the response and were overwhelmed by Liverpool’s heartfelt support of Indian Arts.

This was the moment we realised Liverpool was ready for Indian Arts; it was the catalyst for Milap’s journey and a moment that sparked the next 40 years of activity. The risk paid off in the most extraordinary way and that unforgettable full house shaped Milap’s enduring mission – to bring people together and open hearts through Indian arts.