
Our History
Akademi was founded by Tara Rajkumar OAM in 1979 as Academy of Indian Dance. Under the leadership of a succession of dynamic directors – Tara Rajkumar OAM, Bharati Kansara, John Chapman, Pushkala Gopal, Naseem Khan OBE and Mira Kaushik OBE – Akademi has flourished. We are now a leading producer of South Asian dance in the UK. With the appointment of the new Directors, Subathra Subramaniam and Kirsten Burrows, in January 2020, we are committed to build on this legacy.
Explore our journey through images from the archive:
Our Archive
Akademi has a wealth of archival material on the organisation’s work and the history of South Asian dance in the UK, including footage, images, journals and reports.
If you would like to access these resources please contact the Akademi office on 0207 691 3210, or write to us on info@akademi.co.uk.
Alternatively you can also visit the Victoria and Albert Museum where most of this information is stored in their archives, and is available on request. Further material is stored in the South Asian Diaspora Archives.
In December 2019, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £98,700 to Akademi to archive 40 years of its South Asian dance heritage in the UK at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This 13-month project with the V&A, from December 2019 to December 2020, will explore the evolution and impact of Akademi in the UK.
Akademi will archive the material currently held in storage, produce a resource book and online materials, and create a series of films which celebrates the organisation’s history.
Our History
Akademi was founded by Tara Rajkumar in 1979 as Academy of Indian Dance. Under the leadership of a succession of dynamic directors – Tara Rajkumar, Bharati Kansara, John Chapman, Pushkala Gopal, Naseem Khan and now Mira Kaushik – Akademi has flourished. We are now a leading producer of South Asian dance in the UK.
Explore our journey through images from the archive:
Our Archive
If you would like to access these resources please contact the Akademi office on 0207 691 3210, or write to us on info@akademi.co.uk. Alternatively you can also visit the Victoria and Albert Museum where most of this information is stored in their archives, and is available on request. Further material is stored in the South Asian Diaspora Archives.