My Gurus, Mira Kaushik on Arts Professional

Akademi’s Artistic Director, Mira Kaushik, reveals how an introduction to experimental Indian street theatre in the 1970s and conversations with a vagrant bohemian wanderer shaped her career.

Amoungst her teacher, Sushma Bhatnager at Lady Shri Ram College in India, playwright and theatre director Badal Sircar and Robin Howard, Mira includes ‘Rejections’ as one of her gurus:

‘They challenge me to find new ways of navigating my life and work. Without allowing the closed doors to define me, I take it as a testimony to Akademi pushing the boundaries of South Asian dance and finding the gaps to stick my foot in! That way, with ‘fierce’ (supposedly) courage, I have managed to see my rejections as opportunities and celebrate them. I think organisations should always be transparent about these rejections and share similar experiences as they are the best gurus in life.”