Date: 07/10/2025 18:30 PM
Nartan Festival Talk: The Origins of Indian Performing Arts
Join Nupur Arts Dance Academy for their talk “The Origins of Indian Performing Arts”, taking place at Leicester Adult Education College on Tuesday 7 October, 6:30–8pm, as part of the Nartan Festival 2025.
To kick off this year's Nartan Festival, Nupur Arts warmly invites you to an evening talk, “The Origins of Indian Performing Arts”,
Where did natya - the ancient Indian art form combining theatre, dance, and music - come from, and how was it first imagined? This talk by Dr Maddalena Italia, Associate Lecturer at UCL, explores early Sanskrit texts that describe performance as a powerful way to move, teach, and delight, with ideas that still echo in Indian performing arts today. We’ll look at myths, theories of emotion, and moments from the Sanskrit drama Shakuntala, read aloud in both Sanskrit and English.
Join on:
Tue 7 Oct 2025
6:30pm-8pm
Leicester Adult Education College, LE1 6QL
No prior knowledge is necessary to enjoy the talk, just a curiosity about Indian cultural heritage.
Book your ticket here. This is a Pay-as-you-Wish event. Each ticket includes a cup of chai to enjoy whilst listening to the talk.
This talk is kindly supported by The Richard Bonney Literary Fund. It is presented as part of Nartan Festival, a celebration of South Asian arts curated by Nupur Arts, supported by Leicester City Council and funded by Arts Council England. For information about other festival events, including a dance showcase and a music night, please see the full programme here.
Nupur Arts is a dynamic dance organisation based in the heart of Leicester since 1990. Specialising in Bharatanatyam, Bollywood and Folk, we offer dance classes to all demographics. Alongside this, our outreach work engages with artists, practitioners and other arts organisations to develop, promote and support South Asian arts in Leicestershire and beyond. We are proud to be a part of the Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisation for 2023-2026. The organisation plays a key role in enriching local communities and engaging with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, through a range of arts and cultural activities reflecting the diversity of contemporary Britain. Find out more here.