Arts company Kala Sangam is taking the Capital of Culture bid across the UK, with a show aimed at bringing different cultures and art forms to new audiences.

Kala Sangam - meaning 'art' and 'meeting point' - promotes South Asian cultures through dance, music, creative writing, visual arts and crafts.

Today it embarked on its most ambitious project yet - a two-month national tour with a production called Rural Voices.

An innovative family-oriented project, it highlights the rural storytelling traditions of England and South Asia.

The show is specifically aimed at rural areas and will take Bradford's cultural life into places like village halls, libraries and schools across the country from Cumbria to Devon.

Rural Voices is a fusion of dance, music and storytelling, drawing on contemporary, classical and folk traditions.

"We have always been to urban places before, but this time we wanted to focus on rural places in England - many of which have no experience of Asian culture," said artistic director Dr Geetha Upadhyaya.

"The performance is based on rural Asian and English stories. Oral storytelling is traditionally a part of English heritage and each area has its own stories and legends.

"We asked the communities we are visiting to send us their local stories - and we received more than 400.

"We will bring some of these into the performances. It's a fusion of folk stories, myths and legends of rural England and Asia, taken from reminiscences, anecdotes and parish records."

The show is aimed at breaking Bradford's negative image with solo performers all working together for the first time.

l Rural Voices brings together storyteller Pascale Konyn, tabla maestro Sukhvinder Singh Namdhari; and Kala Sangam. For details call (01759) 303624.