Akademi

"What the commission has turned out to be is a HUGE learning process for me, my practice, and my life, and I am grateful." - Divija Melally

Akademi Artist Commissions recipient writes beautifully about 18 months of making, learning, and being changed by the process of her new project exploring the relation between movement and health and well-being.

Read her blog — link in bio. 🔗

Join us for an intimate sharing of our five Artist Commissions. In 2024, we awarded five artists commissions to develop new work exploring sustainability, climate change, migration, wellbeing and Creative tech. Eighteen months on, this gathering presents where their creative journeys have taken them through excerpts, film and works-in-progress.

Commissioned artists: Anjana Bala, Divija Melally, Chandenie Gobardhan, Kesha Raithatha, and Shivaangee Agrawal.

📍 DanceEast, Ipswich
🗓️ Thursday 25 June, 1–4pm

Places are limited and attendance is by confirmation only on a first-come-first serve basis.
If you’d like to join us, please send an email to [email protected].

Please note this is sharing work-in-progress and not dance performances.

"'Let dance be a long-life partner for our overall health and wellbeing," writes , our ROaR Conference keynote speaker aptly summating her reflection on our three-year project in SEND schools for . In her article, she talks about exploring the impact of weekly South Asian dance sessions in SEND schools, and why culturally diverse, embodied practice has a vital role to play in the lives of neurodivergent young people.

Read the full article via link in bio.

A few moments from the Bandstand at this year’s
, and shared Kathak with festival audiences, their footwork, expressions and improvisation unfolding across the afternoon.
Joined by on tabla and on flute, the performance grew into a lively exchange between dancers and musicians, and the audience, who also moved along with the artists.

Join us at the Young V&A Summer Festival for a Bollywood dance performance by Aparajita and team.

Inspired by a painting of the Devdas film poster from the museum’s collection, the performance will bring iconic dances from Indian cinema to life.

Come along and celebrate Bollywood through music and dance.

🗓Saturday, 4 July 2026
🕑12:30pm
📍Young V&A, London E2 9PA

vam .dance

On World Environment Day, we harness the power of story to spark climate action—through Akademi’s productions, school programmes, and community events that connect people, place, and planet.

At Akademi, climate storytelling threads through our work—bringing environmental conversations to life across productions, learning, and community.

Swipe through to see our projects through the years —>
Read about each project in the pinned comment ⬇️

Two months on from our conference, ‘Reach Out and Reveal (ROaR): Exploring the Impact of South Asian Dance in SEND Education’, we find ourselves still reflecting on what was a truly meaningful and inspiring day.
The event brought together practitioners, educators, and organisations to share findings from our three-year research into the impact of South Asian dance in SEND schools led by Claire Farmer and Dr Ashley McGill.

Artist Jane Chan beautifully captured the conference; research findings, keynote insights from Dr Irina Roncaglia, and the powerful impacts and perspectives shared on the day.

Read the full research report on our website, along with a range of useful resources for schools and parents. Link in bio.
We hope these will be of value to you and your practice.

Join us at The Great Exhibition Road Festival by for an evening of Kathak!
Beginning with a vibrant performance of Kathak with live music, followed by an inclusive movement workshop, it is for all ages and abilities.

🗓️ 6 June 2026
⏱️ 17:00 to 17:45
📍Bandstand, Imperial College London

Artists:
Musicians:

Register and find out more via the link in bio 🔗

The research is in and it confirms what we’ve seen first-hand since 2018. Dance has the power to transform learning, especially in SEND schools.
Our Reach Out and Reveal (ROaR) programme places highly skilled dance practitioners in residence at SEND schools, building a body of practice rooted in care, creativity and rigorous research.
Last month at our ROaR conference, we were proud to launch:
- A three-year longitudinal research report on the impact of South Asian dance in SEND education
- A resource pack for teachers, parents and carers for use in everyday learning and home life
- Case studies developed in collaboration with researchers, artists, educators and school leadership
Swipe through — then follow the link in our bio to read the report, explore the resources and dig into the findings.

🔗 Link in bio