Zahid Makhdoom

Indian Summer Arts Society is a registered Canadian charity and secular, not-for-profit arts organization that produces the annual Indian Summer Festival, a South Asian arts and culture event held every July. The festival explores contemporary themes through performances, talks, installations, and community events across venues in Vancouver and Surrey, and maintains year-round engagement beyond the festival. The non-profit company is based in Vancouver, Canada. The festival serves as a platform showcasing diverse South Asian voices and artistic expressions, including literature, performance art, classical music, and interdisciplinary works, while fostering cross-cultural dialogue with Black, Indigenous, and other BIPOC communities. The organization emphasizes values such as joyful gathering, art as healing, hospitality, and respect for place and community, and is committed to curatorial excellence, fair treatment of artists, and solidarity with Indigenous peoples. The Canadian company was founded in 2011 by Laura Byspalko, Sirish Rao.