I am honoured to become a new patron of Akademi South Asian Dance UK. I have been a passionate advocate and supporter of the work of Akademi for many years, and as a patron relish the opportunity to help this visionary organisation raise its profile amongst an increasingly broad network of people both within and beyond the sector, strengthening links with other forms of contemporary dance and performance, and raising the bar of how South Asian dance is seen within the UK’s diverse cultural landscape.

Also joining Akademi as a new patron is world renowned sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar, whose father Pandit Ravi Shankar was an Akademi patron until his passing in 2012. The announcement marks a new era for the South Asian Dance company and charity, which was established 35 years ago this year and is launching a new slate of projects to bring South Asian dance to wider audiences in the UK, with support from Arts Council’s National Portfolio funding 2015 – 2018.

Pictured above: Myself, Anoushka Shankar and Mira Kaushik OBE, Director of Akademi.