British Creatives and South Asian Artists Unite for Landmark Symposium

• Saturday 25 February, 2pm - 6pm at The Place, London, WC1H 9PY
• Fourth in a series of public discussions exploring the influence of South Asian culture on contemporary art and culture
• Chaired by Middlesex University’s Professor of Dance Christopher Bannerman, head of the Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts
• Created by Akademi, the leading organisation for South Asian dance in the UK
  

Contributors include: journalist Gautam Malkani, author of LondonStani, Theatre Director Tim Supple, artist and activist Sheba ChhaChhi and dancer and choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh (full list below).

Tickets: £15 (con: £10) from The Place box office: 020 7121 1100; www.theplace.org.uk
Press enquiries: susannah.glynn@kallaway.com

Leading critics, artists and performers from the UK and India will meet in London on Saturday 25 February for a special half-day seminar exploring the influence of South Asian perspectives on contemporary art and culture. The event, ‘Looking for the Invisible: The Abstract in South Asian Arts’, will be chaired by Professor Christopher Bannerman, Head of the Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts at Middlesex University and previously Chair of Dance UK.

Organised by Akademi, the leading organisation for South Asian dance in the UK, the Symposium will follow the artistic journeys of individual panellists from a variety of media as they reveal the influences and inspirations which lead to their most important output. The ultimate aim of the day is to explore notions of ‘the abstract’ – or non-narrative expression – from a cross-cultural perspective. The panellists will narrate and present their work through informal conversations with their peers and cultural critics. Audience members will be invited to join the debate – a unique opportunity to engage with an international panel of leading creatives.

Eleven international artists and cultural leaders will take part in the symposium including: Gautam Malkani, Financial Times journalist and author of Londonstani; theatre director Tim Supple, previously of the Young Vic, whose most recent work includes Dash Arts' pan-Indian, multi-lingual A Midsummer Night's Dream; celebrated Delhi-based artist and photographer Sheba ChhaChhi, choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh artistic director and choreographer for leading contemporary arts company Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company and respected Madras-based arts and culture critic Sadanand Menon. (full list of panellists at end of release).

‘Looking for the Invisible’ follows an established history of groundbreaking symposiums by Akademi, including South Asian Aesthetics - Unwrapped! (Royal Opera House), No Man’s Land - Exploring South Asianness (ICA), and Frame by Frame – A Symposium on the Dance of Indian Cinema and its Transition into Bollywood Dancing (Royal Opera House).

Mira Kaushik, Director of Akademi, says: ‘For over 30 years Akademi has been a driving force and catalyst for South Asian culture in the UK. This symposium is about opening up the debate to as wide an audience as possible, exploring the essence of South Asian influence in art and culture and generating inspiration for the next generation of creatives.’

The symposium will be followed by a separate, one-off performance by Aakash Odera’s ‘Rising’, featuring solos choreographed by Russell Maliphant, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Akram Khan. Symposium and Evening Show: Full Price £25/Concession £18
For more information please email admin@akademi.co.uk

- END -

Press contacts and images:
Susannah Glynn - susannah.glynn@kallaway.com; 020 7221 7883
Maxim Bendall - maxim.bendall@kallaway.com; 020 7221 7883

Notes to Editors

About Akademi
Akademi (www.akademi.co.uk) is the leading organisation working with choreographers and dancers to produce and develop South Asian dance in the UK. For over 30 years Akademi has pioneered new visions of dance, synthesising classical and contemporary influences - and contributing to the cultural exchange that is now part of the creative DNA of the UK. In addition, the organisation’s internationally recognised and respected community outreach programme mobilises South Asian dance for learning, creativity and well-being. Akademi innovate a rich year-round programme of work, from large-scale outdoor spectaculars to intimate productions for unusual spaces and venues.
Twitter: @akademi
Facebook: /akademidance

Mira Kaushik, Director, Akademi
Mira Kaushik was appointed Director of Akademi (formerly known as the Academy of Indian Dance) in 1987, since then the organisation has excelled as a strategic arts development body of global importance through its work with audiences reaching millions. Born in Yugoslavia, Mira was educated at Delhi University and has lived in London since 1982. In 2007 she was awarded an Honorary Order of the British Empire for services to dance.

Biographies of Speakers and Chair

Professor Christopher Bannerman - Chair
Having begun his dance career in Canada where he danced with the National Ballet of Canada, Christopher Bannerman moved into South Asian art and culture following extensive travelling to South Asia. He later retrained at London Contemporary Dance School which gave him many opportunities to perform nationally and internationally. Christopher is Head of ResCen (Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts) and Professor of Dance at Middlesex University and has served as Chair of Dance UK, Chair of Arts Council England’s Advisory Panel for Dance, and as Trustee for Akademi.

Gautam Malkani - author
A journalist for The Financial Times since 1998, Gautam Malkani is the author of the novel Londonstani. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Time Out and Prospect Magazine.

Alaknanda Samarth
The first Indian actress to take an acclaimed classical lead at the National Theatre, London, ('Phaedra Britannica',1975) RADA-trained actress Alaknanda Samarth’s work includes roles in ‘Kunti and the Human Voice, Medea Material and Alma Mahler. Her solo works and collaborations have constantly explored the cross-cultural voice - as a teacher she is currently exploring Sound Memory and How You Hear Other Traditions. @alaknanda Samarth

Chitra Sundaram
Chitra Sundaram is an acclaimed Bharatanatyam artist who has trained under some of the finest teachers of the art in Bombay and Madras. She has performed extensively in the UK, India and Europe and was an early contributor to success of South Asian dance in Britain. Chitra was one of the founding members of Akademi; long-time editor for Pulse magazine, South Asian dance and music, and committee member for the South Asian dance faculty at the Imperial Society of the Teacher’s of Dancing (ISTD).

Sheba ChhaChhi
An installation artist, photographer, activist, and writer based in New Delhi, Sheba ChhaChhi’s works investigate questions of gender, ecology, violence and visual culture. She often recuperates myth and iconography from a contemporary perspective to create immersive, interactive experiences and has exhibited widely both in India and internationally. Her installation ‘The Water Diviner’ was awarded the Juror’s Prize, Singapore Art Museum, 2011, as one of the most outstanding works from the Asia Pacific region in the last two years.

Sadanand Menon
A former Arts Editor with The Economic Times, Sadanand Menon is a widely-published columnist, photographer and arts curator. Currently Adjunct Faculty, Asian College of Journalistm Chennai and Indian Insitute of Technology he is also on the Executive Board, Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi, and the Apex Advisory panel, National Museum, Delhi.

Tim Supple
Tim is a British theatre director who has worked throughout the UK and in Europe, North and South America and the Middle and Far East. He has worked regularly at the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company and was Artistic Director of the Young Vic from 1993 to 2000. He is currently co-director of Dash Arts. His most recent work in the theatre includes Dash Arts' pan-Indian, multi-lingual A Midsummer Night's Dream (2006-8) and pan-Arabic One Thousand and One Nights (2011) which opened at last year's Edinburgh International Festival

Anita Ratnam
An accomplished performing artist and choreographer in bharatanatyam, mohiniattam and kathakali, Anita Ratnam co-founded THE OTHER FESTIVAL, (1998 to 2007) India's first annual international festival for contemporary dance and theatre as well as the pathbreaking web portal www.narthaki.com, the largest international virtual space for Indian dance.
She is currently involved in two international dance and theatre conferences focusing on women in Asia: as the producer and artistic director of EPIC WOMEN, a conference set to take place in December 2012 highlighting iconic women in legend, mythology and contemporary life and as the founder of MAD AND DIVINE WOMEN (2011) which illuminated the female mystic poets across the world.

Shobana Jeyasingh
Shobana is artistic director and choreographer for Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, a leading organisation in the contemporary dance scene in the UK. Her work incorporates the classical South Indian dance form, bharatanatyam, into a modern framework to address issues such as culture and identity.

Sonia Sabri
Sonia Sabri is an award-winning British-born Kathak dancer, choreographer and teacher who performs classical and contemporary incarnations both as a solo artist and with her company Sonia Sabri Company. Sonia performs extensively nationally and internationally and she is enjoying a successful tour of her current work, Kathakbox, which explores cultural identity and social divide that presents itself in the ‘tick-box’ nature of modern day life.

Anusha Subramanyam
Anusha Subramanyam is the artistic director of London-based dance company Beeja. As a performer, chorographer and teacher, Anusha is seen as one of the most exciting exponents of Bharatanatyam working ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ of its tradition. Her work aims to bring new audiences to South Asian dance through a cross-cultural and inter-generational approach.

In her work she has collaborated with artists from various disciplines: theatre, music, poetry, multi-media & circus, to create work that is accessible, entertaining and challenging for a variety of settings.

She is the subject leader in Bharatanatyam for Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) and on the board of Community Dance UK. Anusha was awarded Asian Women of Achievement Award (Art and Culture) 2011 by AWA, UK.

- END TO ALL -