If we don’t tell our own stories, others will tell them for us — and get them wrong. We pair artists, filmmakers, and creators with scholars who ensure their work is grounded in historical truth and crafted for impact.
Sikh stories are reaching global audiences through film, television, music, and digital media. But too often, these stories rely on inherited myths rather than actual sources — or they’re shaped by outsiders who don’t understand the tradition.
Harvard Sikh Center bridges the gap between scholarship and storytelling.
What We Produce
We don’t produce films or run training programs — we provide the intellectual foundation that makes accurate, powerful Sikh storytelling possible.
Scholar-artist mentorship
Our fellowship pairs emerging artists and media creators with Sikh scholars who ensure historical and theological accuracy
Advisory for major media
We consult on documentaries, exhibitions, and journalism that shape how global audiences understand the Panth
Children's and educational content
Cartoons, picture books, and curriculum materials grounded in scholarship, not simplified myths
Research for creators
Background research, source guidance, and fact-checking for filmmakers, writers, and journalists
Our Advisory Work
Documentary film
Executive Producer for The Story of Sikhs in America (PBS); advisor for CNN's Emmy-winning United Shades of America
Museums
Advisory role for the Royal Ontario Museum's forthcoming Sikh gallery
Journalism
Background briefings for reporters covering Sikh communities and issues .
Why This Matters
Film festivals showcase Sikh work. Training programs develop young creators. Internships place talent in studios. But who ensures the stories themselves are accurate? Who helps creators move from inherited myths to actual sources?
We mentor artists who can move from archives to audiences — who understand both the sources and the storytelling.
Related Fellowships
Senior Fellow Program
for policy experts and scholars
Undergraduate Research Fellowship
for policy experts and scholars
Join Our Research Community
Join us in building the intellectual foundations for the Panth's global engagement.
