South Asian Dance Equity (SADE): The Arts that British South Asian Dance Ignores
Lead Research Organisation:
Royal Holloway, Univ of London
Department Name: Drama, Theatre and Dance
Abstract
British South Asian Dance (BSAD) is a marginalised sector within the wider sector of British dance. Yet, what is seldom recognised and examined, are the different kinds of marginalisations that exist within this already marginalised sector. BSAD has historically tended to be the domain of dominant caste, class privileged, able-bodied, heterosexual and cis-gendered women of Indian heritage. "South Asian Dance Equity (SADE): The Arts that British South Asian Dance Ignores" is a networking grant project designed to examine processes and categories of minoritisations that lead to the systemic erasures of specific South Asian arts and artists within the BSAD sector. The network will examine these minoritisations under five identified categories: the dominance of Indian dance forms and Indian heritage artists within BSAD; LGBTQI+ artists; caste-oppressed artists; disabled artists; and folk and adivasi (indigenous) arts and artists.
SADE responds to global concerns around equity and accountability in relation to South Asian dance. The principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of this network's design and remit. It seeks to question power imbalances, lack of diversity, and systemic exclusions in the BSAD sector. It turns to the concept and practice of "equity" as an intellectual and action-focused framework that is driven by social justice agendas. It recognises that all BSAD artists do not start with the same opportunities in life, and that power asymmetries are replicated in the BSAD sector. The network aims to highlight the need to create bespoke adjustments and additional opportunities so that resources and attention can be directed towards minoritised dance arts, artists and researchers.
The SADE network will bring together marginalised artists from South Asia and the UK to explore how inequities in each place are both intertwined and distinct. Over the course of one online and four one-day hybrid workshops across four cities -- London, Birmingham, Leeds and Leicester -- artists from the UK and South Asia will share their artistic practices and exchange ideas and experiences regarding equity. The SADE online project launch will be co-ordinated by Akademi (London) with the title 'South Asian Dance and Decentring India'. The second workshop titled 'South Asian Dance and LGBTQI+ Identities' will foreground LGBTQI+ artists and lives, and will be coordinated by Baithak Arts (London). The third workshop titled 'South Asian Dance and Caste', will examine the BSAD sector's caste privileged foundations, ideologies and aesthetics. This will be coordinated by Sampad Arts (Birmingham). The fourth workshop on 'South Asian Dance and Ableism' will foreground disabled artists and critique the dominance of ableism in the BSAD sector, and will be coordinated by Balbir Singh Dance Company (Leeds). The final and fifth workshop titled 'South Asian Dance, Adivasi & Folk Identities' will address the systemic minoritisation of folk and adivasi (indigenous) arts and artists in BSAD. This will be corrdinated by Nupur Arts (Leicester).
The SADE network project will culminate in a two-day conference which will take place at Senate House, University of London. The conference will include panels, keynote speakers, and plenaries. On both evenings of the conference, dance artists from South Asia who participated in the project will share their practice at The Place Theatre, London. The conference will also showcase a practice-based collaboration between South Asian and British South Asian artists, which will become a model for future collaborative work. The conference and dance performances will be accessible to the public via free registration. The SADE network's activities will be disseminated through a fully accessible project website as well as a special issue journal publication on equity in South Asian dance.
SADE responds to global concerns around equity and accountability in relation to South Asian dance. The principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of this network's design and remit. It seeks to question power imbalances, lack of diversity, and systemic exclusions in the BSAD sector. It turns to the concept and practice of "equity" as an intellectual and action-focused framework that is driven by social justice agendas. It recognises that all BSAD artists do not start with the same opportunities in life, and that power asymmetries are replicated in the BSAD sector. The network aims to highlight the need to create bespoke adjustments and additional opportunities so that resources and attention can be directed towards minoritised dance arts, artists and researchers.
The SADE network will bring together marginalised artists from South Asia and the UK to explore how inequities in each place are both intertwined and distinct. Over the course of one online and four one-day hybrid workshops across four cities -- London, Birmingham, Leeds and Leicester -- artists from the UK and South Asia will share their artistic practices and exchange ideas and experiences regarding equity. The SADE online project launch will be co-ordinated by Akademi (London) with the title 'South Asian Dance and Decentring India'. The second workshop titled 'South Asian Dance and LGBTQI+ Identities' will foreground LGBTQI+ artists and lives, and will be coordinated by Baithak Arts (London). The third workshop titled 'South Asian Dance and Caste', will examine the BSAD sector's caste privileged foundations, ideologies and aesthetics. This will be coordinated by Sampad Arts (Birmingham). The fourth workshop on 'South Asian Dance and Ableism' will foreground disabled artists and critique the dominance of ableism in the BSAD sector, and will be coordinated by Balbir Singh Dance Company (Leeds). The final and fifth workshop titled 'South Asian Dance, Adivasi & Folk Identities' will address the systemic minoritisation of folk and adivasi (indigenous) arts and artists in BSAD. This will be corrdinated by Nupur Arts (Leicester).
The SADE network project will culminate in a two-day conference which will take place at Senate House, University of London. The conference will include panels, keynote speakers, and plenaries. On both evenings of the conference, dance artists from South Asia who participated in the project will share their practice at The Place Theatre, London. The conference will also showcase a practice-based collaboration between South Asian and British South Asian artists, which will become a model for future collaborative work. The conference and dance performances will be accessible to the public via free registration. The SADE network's activities will be disseminated through a fully accessible project website as well as a special issue journal publication on equity in South Asian dance.
