Thinking Inside the Box with Aaliya: building space for the Desi Diaspora

The day of a Dominasian event always starts with a phone call, with all the team members scrambling around as they get ready, checking things off lists and trying to manage the last minute chaos. The venue tells a similar story - co-ordinating sound checks, welcoming performers and setting up the decor. 

Amongst the madness, if you stay still sometimes you can feel a draft of air move right past you, so quick that if you blink you might miss it. This is Aaliya, co-founder of Dominasian Magazine who can be identified with long wavy hair and furrowed eyebrows. The team, now accustomed to Aaliya’s quick movements as she whirls around the venue, accost her with questions, comments and some more questions which she answers deftly while making her way through the many to-do lists.

Conceived through the desire to create a safe space for the Desi community to boldly express themselves, Dominasian emerged in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The first event held by the magazine marked the launch of the first issue - The Blueprint. It was the first opportunity for the Dominasian community to come together and celebrate. For Aaliya, it was the first chance to observe the translation of a digital space into a physical one. As the team scrambled to get things into order and dealt with one of the many things that seemed to adhere to Murphy’s law, guests began to line up at the door. The event progressed featuring live performances from Nush (@musicbynush), a henna corner with collective Huq That (@huqthat) and a collaboration with Hungama (@hungama_ldn) to end the night with the DJ playing some tunes. The reception of the event proved something incredibly important - events like this weren’t just wishful thinking, the Desi community shared a deep, connected craving for such spaces.

The first launch event, a fully sold out spectacle, sparked the drive for Dominasian Magazine to continuously provide tangible and sensory experiences for their audience that elicit emotional and nostalgic responses. Organising the very first event was a foray into uncharted territory and Dominasian stood at the precipice of uncertainty. Now, Dominasian Magazine has conscientiously carved its position within the South Asian event scene, recognized for its provocative and politically charged propositions to its audience. Harnessing this growth, the magazine executes events such as film screenings, DJ Battles, networking events and creative workshops - including collaborations with established collectives and institutions such as Daytimers and Gunnersby Museum. 

As Aaliya outlines, planning an event begins from a particular feeling or theme that they want to tackle. The next step of the process brings us back to the core: the community. Aaliya and the team review and begin outreach to different collectives and companies to collaborate with, for the event. The list of collaborators are spread across a wide spectrum from DJs and Dhol players to a 360 degree spinning photobooth, everyone pitches in to tell the story. Once the collaborators are established, it’s a mad dash to the finish line ensuring that the visuals, the space, the line up and all intangible elements are in alignment.

Volume 3: Myriad of Mirrors Launch Event

 When asked about maintaining the profitability of an event against the needs of the guests, Aaliya states quite stoutly that “profit is never the driving force for this. We have to get extra, extra creative with our resources. So it comes down to partnering with venues that are community focused, building strong collaborations and really going into DIY mode whenever possible. If there’s a chance we can create it ourselves and with our own hands, then we do that; there is a beauty in that as well.” The magazine prioritises paying artists and contributors as fairly as possible. Revenue generated from an event goes to the collaborators and covers the costs of hosting the event in the first place. Aaliya denotes the importance of transparency with the community, ensuring that they know where their money goes. Additionally, the magazine will offer additional discounts if contacted by guests who cannot afford a ticket because “at the core of it, the community is just trying to show up and support. Everyone deserves to have that space. It is important to remember the intention behind building such a platform and staying grounded with it”.

Aaliya’s most memorable event remains a month-long exhibition held by the magazine in collaboration with Hypha studios. Titled “Under your mum’s feet” the exhibition space was set up as a Desi home, evoking deep-rooted nostalgia as you make your way through. The theme was inspired by a Bengali saying that said ‘Heaven lies under your mother’s feet’. The team worked tirelessly to replicate a home, even putting up walls to separate the kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom.

The Dominasian Team and Friends at Under your Mum's Feet

During the time period of the exhibition, the UK was witnessing mass anti-immigration riots from the far right. As the Dominasian team began to fear leaving their homes to set up for the exhibition, a decision was made – the show must go on. Instead of allowing fear to dictate action, they chose to remain brave and create a sanctuary to welcome the Desi community amidst the protests: a true act of rebellion. The private viewing welcomed guests with live performances featuring Hindustani vocalist Shivani Sen, tabla players and poetry readings. Emotions ran high in the room and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 

Under your Mum's Feet, The exhibition

This act of resistance is synonymous with Dominasian Magazine and Aaliya’s contribution to the South Asian diaspora. Aaliya’s decision to stand strong and continue with the private viewing in turbulent times reflects her commitment to artistic endeavours and creating a space for the Desi community to truly feel safe, to feel at home. The exhibition remained open for the rest of the month hosting workshops, movie nights and open decks DJ nights. 

Aaliya Choudary, Co-Founder of DominAsian Magazine at the DJ Battle: The SpinOff

Aaliya hopes that Dominasian Magazine can be remembered not for the events, but for the people that came together, the artists that were spotlighted and the stories that were honoured. This creative powerhouse is a force to be reckoned with as she reshapes what it means to design an event and a space of empowerment, acceptance and celebration for the South Asian zeitgeist by generating a multi-sensory experience that connects with the community's desires. As she says “Brown is beautiful and we can do whatever we want to do – we have the power to do it. Nobody should be allowed to dim that light.”