About Us
Who are Manasamitra?
Immerse yourself in music, dance and art that transport you to beautiful, vibrant India, steeped in colour, culture and history. Informed by India’s incredibly rich cultural heritage, Manasamitra offers up beautiful melodies and pulsating rhythms that intertwine with flowing dance and dazzling storytelling and inspiring art to take you on a journey that will delight your senses and lift your spirits. Our eclectic and versatile artistic company is based in West Yorkshire, right in the very heart of the UK.
Objective
Create awareness of the rich cultural heritage of South Asian Arts, through regional partnerships, concerts, events and workshops in the education and community sector.
Vision
Manasamitra hopes to open windows of opportunity and encourage the young talent and upcoming artists be it music, dance or art. It also aims to collaborate with other art organisations in the UK and expand its cultural resources in Britain and beyond.
Mission Statement
We are an open, friendly company committed to sharing experiences and knowledge and are very keen to collaborate and work with people from as many geographical and artistic areas as possible. Manasamitra firmly believe in education and opportunity for all and our services and shows are available to anyone from any social background, community, ethnicity or religion. Music, art and dance, can bring people together and energise them like nothing else and we are dedicated to this in both, our public performances, workshops and our corporate work.
What can be done?
- Through school and community workshops
- By conducting classes for tuition in Indian music and dance
- The arrangement of live music and dance performances
- The arrangement of visual art exhibitions
- By showcasing Indian music and dance in the UK
- Through cultural festivals, promoting national and International artists
- Music and dance competitions
- By managing and event planning festivals
- By holding open discussions on varied subjects such as tradition, culture and everyday life
- The provision of team-bonding workshops for businesses and organisations
Although Manasamitra is focused on Indian themes our audience is incredibly far-reaching and diverse. Like the varied audiences who participate and enjoy the productions, Manasamitra wants to share information and exchange ideas with other art organisations and artists through social events in order to broaden the scope of its knowledge and experience. We believe our goals are as much about listening to others as it as about showing, telling and teaching.
The Team
Our team is made up of three core members:
Supriya Nagarajan - Artistic Director
Supriya Nagarajan, the founding member of Manasamitra, a Bombay born Indian, who studied music from the age of five; her passionate love of music drove her to achieve great things and the desire to help people from all backgrounds find that passion within themselves.
Shameela Hussain - Visual Art Projects Manager
Shameela Hussain, a dedicated painter specialising in contemporary abstract art with a focus on Indian culture. With a background in visual arts Shameela co-ordinates Manasamitra's arts and crafts projects encouraging diversity through creativity.
Kamaljeet Ajimal – Performing Arts Manager
Kamaljeet Ajimal, the newest addition to the Manasamitra team, is a British based multi-talented artist in the broadest sense. She is a trained Indian classical musician, who has performed in many venues around the UK and India, and also an exhibiting artist who specialises in painting. Within Manasamitra Kamaljeet programmes and co-ordinates the events.
If you would like more information about the team's artistic endeavours please visit the Artist page.
