Meet The Team
As a not-for-profit organisation, Jaivant Patel Dance is governed by a voluntary board of trustees and any surplus funds from our work are invested directly back into our mission of enriching communities through dance and the arts.
Let us introduce you to the core team, board of directors and critical friends all involved in the work of Jaivant Patel Dance:
Core Team: Jaivant Patel, Sarah Shead, Nahid Siddiqui & Miranda Laurence.
Board Of Directors: Sarah Jassal, Vida Midgelow, Hardish Virk & Linda Saunders.
Critical Friends: Bisakha Sarker, Lara Ratnaraja, Helga Henry, Alex Croft, Deborah Kermode & Neil Reading.
CORE TEAM:
Jaivant Patel (Artistic & Creative Director/Chief Executive)
“The formal inception of Jaivant Patel Dance has long been an ambition of mine. The company’s desire to positively contribute to enriching people’s everyday lives through dance and art has always been it’s driving force. As Artistic and Creative Director, I look forward to placing value on pushing the boundaries and agenda of urgent and relevant socio-political narratives through the high quality work of the company; for all our audiences to have an interconnectedness with, on multiple universal levels.”
Jaivant Patel completed a BA (Hons) at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and is currently under the guidance of global exponent Nahid Siddiqui for Kathak.
Jaivant’s artistic journey seeks to incorporate Kathak into his creative practice to compliment his contemporary dance background. Jaivant’s approach to Kathak integrates a curiosity in understanding the classical form’s unique nuances rooted in diaspora heritage and relationship to his own British-Indian identity. In particular his solo choreographic work challenges the complexities of inherited notions, perceptions and stereotypes surrounding British-Asian identity.
He has worked with world-renowned and established choreographers such as Sharon Watson (née Donaldson), Nahid Siddiqui, Shirley Jacobs, Tanushree Shankar, Jeremy Nelson, Shobana Jeyasingh, Laurent Cavanna & Bisakhsa Sarker to name but a few.
He is the first named Associate Artist at Arena Theatre (Wolverhampton), Associate Artist at Midlands Arts Centre and a member of the board of Directors for Dance4.
Jaivant was named on Akademi’s 2019 Powerlist of ‘40 Under 40’South Asian Dance Artists to look out for in the UK. Jaivant was also named on India Gazette London’s 2018 ‘High And Mighty’ Powerlist of individuals ‘you should know’ in the UK-India Corridor.
He is a member of Chisenhale Dance Space & Once Dance UK and a former Independent Artistic and Quality Assessor for Arts Council England.
Sarah Shead (Consultant Producer)
“Sarah was initially drawn to work with Jaivant because of his clear sense of artistry, style and confidence in his identity. She believed it was inevitable he would have unique and fascinating stories to tell. Having peeled back the layers of some of those stories, Sarah is even more confident that Jaivant contributes something significant, special, and rare to arts and culture.”
Sarah found her passion for dance at the age of 8 and went on to complete a BA (Hons) Dance International at Bretton Hall (UK) and York University (Toronto).
She spent the first part of her career working her way up the ranks in organisations such as Creative Partnerships, Dance4, Yorkshire Dance and CidaCo.
During maternity leave in 2010, Sarah founded Spin Arts and has been working as Director and Creative Producer ever since. Spin Arts has produced award winning and critically acclaimed international touring productions. Committed to creating shows and experiences that showcase unique and under-represented voices, Spin Arts productions can be found in theatres, libraries, galleries, community centres, and outdoor festivals.
Last year, Sarah became increasingly concerned that arts leaders were becoming disconnected from the problems they were trying to solve. In response Sarah set up a new venture Artistic Mutiny UK, a network of arts & cultural workers seeking to find more equitable ways of working.
Spin Arts Website Mutiny UK Facebook Page
Nahid Siddiqui (Kathak Guide & Artistic Mentor)
“Jaivant has been under my guidance in Kathak since 2016 when he approached me, seeking to understand with greater clarity the aesthetics and principles of the Kathak form. It has been my pleasure to have choreographed for the YAATRA production as well as see Jaivant Patel Dance grow as an organisation that supports the development of South Asian Arts, grounded in traditional roots yet contemporary in perspective.”
Nahid Sidddiqi is the face of Kathak in Pakistan and a visionary who has shed a different light on the dance form globally, and has given birth to a style practiced by her only. She has against all odds and challenges, spent four decades of her life breathing hope, vitality and exuberance to a dance form that has received very little state patronage and support (in Pakistan).
Through sheer perseverance she has not only earned the reputation of a prolific artist, but has also singlehandedly set a formidable standard of quality, a refined sensibility of aesthetic and an intricate system of technical expertise which has received much acclaim all over the world.
Nahid’s choreographies have been original and groundbreaking, blending traditional and contemporary techniques extending Kathak’s repertory and developing it as a universal vocabulary. She is acknowledged for contributing her won style, technique and expression (Gharana), which is imbued and informed by Islamic and Sufi aesthetics, sensibilities and longing for ultimate union.
Nahid works internationally between Pakistan and the UK and has been supported by Arts Council England, who have invested in her national touring work. Nahid was the first Kathak artist and choreographer in the UK to inaugurate the setting up of Kathak classes at Bharitya Vidya Bhavan (London).
Miranda Laurence (Dramaturg)
“I have been delighted to collaborate with Jaivant Patel Dance as a dramaturg over the past several years. Jaivant’s work both in performance and in process offers me endless new fascinating insights into what dance is and how it communicates. I have enjoyed watching Jaivant’s artistic voice gain in confidence and to see his work getting increasing recognition for its clarity, and its generation of a new discourse around British South Asian heritage in relation to dance and LGBTQ+ identity. I’m honoured to be a part of that process”
Miranda Laurence is an independent dance dramaturg based in the UK, with over 10 years’ experience working in the dance and arts development sectors. Her dramaturgy practice and professional development has been supported by awards from Arts Council England, Oxford Dance Forum and South East Dance.
Her collaborators work in a range of dance forms, from Kathak to screen dance. She is also in demand as a facilitator, recently delivering workshops on movement dramaturgy for the Association of Danish Dramaturgs, London Studio Centre, and Oxford Dance Forum, and regularly facilitating work-in-progress evenings.
Alongside her freelance dramaturgy practice, Miranda is a cultural producer, with emphases on strategic development, producing and commissioning community-facing arts projects across all art forms, and commissioning public art. She has worked freelance and in employed roles for several small and national charities and arts organisations, two local authorities, and for the University of Reading. She is on the advisory board of the Dramaturgs' Network, and on the Board of Directors for Reside Dance CIC.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Sarah Jassal ( Chair Of The Board)
“Jaivant’s work as choreographer and cultural producer is an important, valuable voice within the local, regional and national arts and dance sectors. Jaivant has a unique artistic quality and vision for the development of the work within the narratives he presents, and within the sections of contemporary society that he represents. As chair of the board, I am both honoured and excited to be on this journey with Jaivant and the company Trustees.”
With over 20 years’ experience, Sarah has an artform specialism of dance and a particular interest in young people’s, artist and workforce development.
After assistant producer roles at New Works Festival and NOTTDance (Dance 4), Sarah worked at the Foundation for Community Dance (People Dancing) where she was responsible for membership services, marketing and the development of the organisation’s first website. From there Sarah became the Sub Regional Dance Development Officer for Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire and created Dancescape, the dance development agency for the sub region.
Sarah has vast experience and knowledge of developing dance projects at grass roots level alongside developing wider strategic plans that impact on a much larger scale with far reaching benefits, and has contributed to several large scale projects and regional plans for dance, such as the West Midlands Cultural Olympiad in 2012 and the region-wide Boys Dancing project (Warwick Arts Centre).
Sarah now works as an independent consultant based in Wolverhampton, alongside being a mum to her three children. She specialises in coaching and working with young dancers, emerging and professional artists to develop their leadership skills and portfolio careers.
Shine Duggal (Board Member)
"I AM DELIGHTED TO BE JOINING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF JAIVANT PATEL DANCE. JAIVANT PATEL DANCE'S WORK PUSHES BOUNDARIES, TAKING CREATIVE RISKS WITH VERVE AND PASSION, THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE ADMIRED FROM OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER MANY YEARS AGO. I HAVE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW JAIVANT'S WORK FROM A DISTANCE AND I AM NOW EXCITED TO BE RE-CONNECTING WITH HIS JOURNEY AS A MEMBER OF THE JPD BOARD, AT THE RIGHT TIME AND IN THE RIGHT SPACE. I AM EXCITED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING ALL THAT IS TO COME."
Shine is an independent consultant and creative producer working within the arts and cultural sector. She has over 25 years’ experience managing complex programmes of activity regionally, nationally and internationally Shine has worked and collaborated with a range of cultural stakeholders including - Arts Council England, BBC English Regions, Channel 4, City of Culture, Creative People & Places, Times Music India, Trinity Mirror Group, Sony Music, EMI Arabia, British Council and Birmingham Mela and Simmerdown Reggae Festival.
Her core aims are to diversify people, programmes and spaces to increase participation, audiences and engagement. Shine has a developed reputation as a consultant, creative producer, EDI specialist, facilitator and critical friend.
As a creative producer her areas of expertise include curation and production of large and small scale creative programmes, exhibitions and performance. As a consultant with grounding in strategic development, she works with organisations and individuals to solve problems, create value, resilience and improve performance.
Sandeep Mahal (Board Member)
It’s a great honour to join the Board of Jaivant Patel Dance. To be given this opportunity to bring my experience to support the extraordinary and inspiring work of Jaivant Patel Dance is a gift. I can’t wait to get started and help drive this young company forward at this moment in timE.”
An expert in literature, literacy and libraries, Sandeep Mahal, is Director of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and Chair of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.
Passionate about equality, inclusion and empowering young people to build a better world with words, Sandeep is responsible for providing creative and strategic leadership and effective management of Nottingham’s UNESCO designation and charitable company. She drives the city’s vision where everyone is reading and writing their way to a better life. She is also Chair of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.
Sandeep previously spent ten years in public libraries in Sandwell, in various roles, working as Race Equality Librarian, and later as Outreach Services Librarian. In addition to libraries, she has many years of experience in the UK publishing environment, transforming the way UK publishers collaborated with the UK public library network. She has staged all kinds of events with authors from Zadie Smith and Jarvis Cocker to Adele Parks and Neil Gaiman. In 2013, Sandeep was seconded as a Clore Fellow to The Space – a commissioning agency supporting greater digital access to the arts, co-funded by Arts Council England and the BBC. Sandeep is a trustee of Spread the Word and the Women’s Prize Trust.
Sandeep has positioned Nottingham’s UNESCO designation as crucial to the local cultural ecology. She has developed a strong reputation for cultural collaboration, provided an infrastructure that has leveraged new investment into the city and embedded the UNESCO designation into the capital development plans for the new Central Library. She worked with the National Literary Trust to establish the Read On Nottingham Literacy Hub and sits on Nottingham’s new Board for Culture and Creativity.
Vida Midgelow (Board Member)
“I am honoured to be a part of the next step in the development of Jaivant Patel Dance. Ambitious, challenging, thoughtful and beautiful the company's work is deeply rooted in British South Asian dance and community, whilst speaking confidently to the complexities of intersectional identities and the interweaving of dance forms. A strong advocate, Patel enriches the communities and artists he works with, making less-heard voices visible.”
Dance Artist/Academic Vida L Midgelow is Professor in Dance and Choreographic Practices at Middlesex University and lives in Derbyshire. She has over 25 years experience facilitating and lecturing in performance. Her movement and video work has been shown internationally and she publishes her research in professional, online and academic journals. As a movement artist her work focuses upon somatic approaches to dance training, improvised dance practices and articulating choreographic processes. She developed the Creative Articulations Process (CAP), which is now used internationally.
She is a committed educator and mentor, undertaking dramaturgical, curatorial and consultancy roles for artists and organisations. These facilitative activities combine with her own research within the framework of the Choreographic Lab, of which she is co-director (with Professor Jane Bacon). The Choreographic Lab, has sought to provide platforms for sharing choreographic practices and critical inquiry and is currently an associate research artist at Dance4. Extending these interests she conceptualized and edited the hybrid peer reviewed journal, Choreographic Practices (2010-2020). She also is the director of Artistic Doctorates in Europe and was until recently vice-chair of the board at Dance4 - which is where she had the pleasure of meeting Jaivant.
Hardish Virk (Board Member)
“Jaivant Patel Dance is a unique voice within the performance arts world – bringing a personal narrative to global themes which is both beautiful and provocative. Alongside this the company supports a whole community of potential and professional dancers and choreographers. It’s a pleasure to be part of the company’s creative journey.”
Hardish Virk has thirty years’ experience in arts marketing and PR. He’s worked with dance, music, theatre, festivals, visual arts, cinema, museums and heritage organisations.
In an audience development capacity, he has managed projects specifically aimed at developing Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse audiences whilst advising artists and cultural organisations (including Arts Council England; British Council; Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; Danish Centre for Culture and Development) on race equality and diversity as well as consulting on policy and strategy.
Hardish also facilitates training and workshops. In addition to this, he has written several articles on audience and organisational development for magazines including Arts Business and JAM (Arts Marketing Association).
Hardish has also worked with voluntary organisations, health service providers and educational institutions in the area of community engagement, leading on delivery and acting as an advisor.
Linda Saunders (Board Member)
“Jaivant Patel Company is an important contributor to the arts sector in the UK, speaking fearlessly to articulate a vision for urgent and necessary change and greater visibility for South Asian arts, making and touring work, giving platforms to other artists and engaging communities.”
Linda has twenty years of leadership roles in the cultural sector including as Managing Director of The Public in West Bromwich and Strategic Director of DanceXchange, the dance development agency for the West Midlands and producers of Birmingham International Dance Festival. She is currently a Board member at Midlands Arts Centre and Millennium Point Trust.
Linda now works as a freelance management consultant making use of her extensive experience running cultural organisations. She supports small arts organisations and independent artists with pragmatic and practical advice on achieving their vision as a sustainable business – business planning, fundraising, generating income, evaluation, governance, risk management, organisational and team development.
CRITICAL FRIENDS:
Bisakha Sarker (Independent Artist & Choreographer)
“Jaivant has two adorable qualities essential for success; ambition and agency. Jaivant Patel Dance has developed a widely varied portfolio of projects; from recently archiving the past history of the wealth of South Asian Dance in The Black Country, to creating a regular platform to introduce the work of emerging and established artists in a mainstream theatre. At the same time he is creating his own performance work that reflects his traditions and which resonates with his lived experience. It is a delight to be connected with this organisation as a critical friend.”
Bisakha Sarker is a leading practitioner of Indian creative dance. She has worked as a performer, choreographer, researcher, educationalist, critic, writer and video maker.
Bisakha was born in India .She received her masters degree in Statistics from the University of Calcutta. After coming to the UK she adopted Liverpool as her home.
She works all over the country in a wide range of situations. Her innovative work, much of it with disabled people, has challenged traditional cultural boundaries. Her rich spiritual creativity inspires others to translate their experiences and emotions into the shapes and rhythms of dance.
Bisakha hands over the ownership of the dance to all those with whom she works, empowering them in a unique way. Both her performance and participatory work is informed by eastern spirituality.
Bisakha Sarker is currently the director of Chaturangan, an agency based in Liverpool working to raise the profile of South Asian dance, culture and spirituality both locally and nationally.
To learn more of Bisakha, read her own thoughts entitled Footsteps and Fingerprints and her responses when being interviewed by Lindsey Fryer.
Lara Ratnaraja (Cultural Sector Consultant)
“Jaivant Patel Dance continues to evolve and transform; being a vital voice not just in South Asian Dance but across the performing arts. They present complex and arresting contemporary dance that reflects the intersectional diversity and beauty of the world we live in.”
Lara is a freelance consultant specialising in diversity, leadership, collaboration, ideas, innovation cultural policy implementation within the HE, cultural and digital sector.
She develops and delivers projects and policy on how culture and digital technology intersect for a number of national partners as well as programmes around leadership, resilience and business development for the arts.
She is currently delivering and developing cross sector projects with private, public, HE and other education partners.
She co-produced three leadership programmes RE:Present, ASTONish and AD:Vantage with Helga Henry ; and co-curates Hello Culture a conference for digital and culture
She is a member of the Arts Council England Midlands Area Council, on the Board of Derby Theatres and Vivid Projects and the Advisory Groups for Coventry Biennial and SHOUT Festival. She is on the Equality Monitoring Group for Arts Council Wales and is a Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre Industry Champion.
Helga Henry (Cultural Sector Consultant)
“I first met Jaivant at the RE:Present leadership programme that I delivered with colleague Lara Ratnaraja. It has been a privilege to witness Jai's progress since that date, finding his own artistic and leadership voice and growing stronger partnerships and alliances.”
Helga is an independent consultant who specialises in bringing strategy to life by building communication skills, leadership and confidence, mostly within the cultural sector. By discovering and harnessing what drives people to succeed, she seeks to unleash talent with a particular focus on diversity.
Since starting her consultancy practice in 2018, clients have included the Royal Albert Hall, Playful Productions, Coventry City of Culture, Fierce Festival and Jerwood Arts. Helga has hosted Hello Culture (presented with the BBC as part of Digital Cities week in Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester) and has run board and staff away days for a host of organisations across the UK from Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh to Brighton Photo Fringe.
From 2016 – 2018, Helga was Director of Organisational Development at Birmingham Hippodrome, where she was tasked with bringing the organisation’s new vision and strategy to life. She focused on its People (board, staff, volunteers and placements) to design communication systems and training.
Alex Croft (Creative Director, Kala Sangam)
"I think Jaivant is one of the most important choreographic voices we have in the UK at the moment, using both Indian Classical and Contemporary movement to produce the most authentic, beautiful, modern work. As well as being a groundbreaking artistically, Jaivant Patel Dance is leading the conversation nationally around LGBTQ+ representation in Indian Classical dance and Kala Sangam is really proud to be supporting in this delivery as a partner."
Alex is Creative Director at Kala Sangam, an intercultural arts hub in the centre of Bradford that specialises in supporting the development of dance and music which reflects the diversity of contemporary Britain.
Alex began his career in arts marketing at Northern Ballet before moving on to West Yorkshire Playhouse and then heading up the communications department at Phoenix Dance Theatre. Prior to joining Kala Sangam he was a Relationship Manager for Dance in the North for Arts Council England.
He is the Chair of Bradford Cultural Voice Forum and is a current trustee of balletLORENT and a former trustee of Pyramid of Arts.
Deborah Kermode (Chief Executive & Artistic Director, Midlands Arts Centre)
“It’s wonderful to work with Jaivant Patel and be a critical friend to the organisation, his generous approach both as a dance artist, choreographer and a cultural producer brings great warmth to all his partnerships. I hugely appreciate the valuable contribution he makes to organisations such as MAC to think differently and embrace the richness of diversity, dance and storytelling – his work has a unique power to appeal across generations and contexts.”
Deborah joined Midlands Arts Centre in 2016, prior to which she was Deputy Director at the internationally acclaimed Ikon Gallery, Birmingham. Previous roles include Director of Bright Space, an arts education charity that delivered the Creative Partnerships programme for Birmingham, to improve the skills of children and young people through cultural opportunities.
Deborah’s curatorial background saw her lead Ikon’s off-site programme and act as producer for organisations including Fierce Festival, Birmingham Opera Company, RSC and Supersonic Festival, bringing programmes as diverse as opera, live art and heavy metal music to younger audiences in more innovative public situations.
Deborah is currently on the board of Centrala and Creative Alliance.
Morag Ballantyne (Freelance Consultant & Director, Ballantyne Carmichael)
“I am delighted to be a critical friend to Jaivant Patel Dance, contributing in a small way to the bold vision and ambition of a company making important change. The commitment to communities and the generous sharing of practice to showcase South Asian artists, while making beautiful work that tellls compelling, univeral stories is inspiring.”
Morag Ballantyne is a Consultant who works with cultural organisations, artists and creative businesses to help them to see things differently and to transform what they do. She helps people to make change, to build capacity, develop strategy and achieve their goals.
Morag has 30 years experience in the sector as a practitioner and consultant across all artforms and the creative industries. She regularly works with Boards, executive and staff teams to identify opportunities and issues, find solutions and shape new strategies. Morag is an accredited mentor and Facilitator and loves working with people and groups, inspiring them to make and lead change.
Morag is passionate about the value and impact of the arts and about ensuring that everyone has access to the arts and culture. She started her career at the Traverse Theastre in Edinburgh where she was their first Head of Marketing. As a consultant, she worked with many arts organisations across Scotland, across all artforms, and led the consultation to establish the National Theatre of Scotland. She is the co-founder of the award winning women’s theatre company, Stellar Quines.
In 2003 Morag moved to Northamptonshire with her family and juggled her children’s sports and creative activiities alongside a portfolio of projects including working on the winning bid for Made in Corby Creative People and Places and acting as Producer for the first six months. She worked with the Unversity of Northampton to lead Creative Northants, the creative industries development agency for the county and was Creative Industries Associate for Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership.She has worked with Fermynwoods Contermporary Arts, Dance4, Wriggle Dance, Turned on its Head, NN Contemporary Art, Royal and Derngate, Deep Roots Tall Trees among others, in addition to mentoring over 100 artists. She was co-founder and Chair of What Next? Northampton and a member of the Creative and Cultural Board of two Local Enterprise Trusts.
Morag is a Trustee of The Traverse Theatre, Scotland’s new writing theatre, and of Leicester based, Turned on its Head which specialises in dance for under 5s. Previous Board roles include Trustee of Northamptonshire Arts Management Trust, Royal and Derngate, Chair of the Board at The Core at Corby Cube and a Trustee of Wriggle Dance and South Northants Leisure Trust.
Morag now lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and has two grown up children. She loves getting her walking shoes on and enjoying the Yorkshire countryside and the brilliant arts organisations on the doorstep.
Neil Reading (Artistic Director, Arena Theatre)
“We are delighted at the Arena to have Jaivant Patel as an Associate Artist and to work in partnership with Jaivant Patel Dance to bring the very best of South Asian Dance to the audiences of the Black Country. Jaivant is a phenomenal cultural force and his ability to blend contemporary practice with traditional practise and method marks him out as one of the most exciting voices in the contemporary dance landscape.”
Neil Reading is the Artistic Director of Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, a venue with over 20 years history of supporting theatre made for and by d/Deaf and disabled audiences and companies.
Neil graduated with an MA in ‘Directing for Theatre’ from St Mary’s University and a BA (Hons) in ‘Theatre Studies’ from University of Hull. Neil has been a theatre director and producer for the past eighteen years and has been involved with over 40 productions to date, he is also a founding member and company director of Beautiful Shadows Theatre Company. Neil’s primary focus is new writing and developing the next generation of theatre artists.
Recent works include, ‘Dark Tales in Winter’ by Matt Beames/Hannah Torrance (Arena Theatre/Beautiful Shadows), ‘Kukunor/Kalahari’ by Eero Enqvist (Arena Theatre and Tour) ‘Burning Books’ by Jess Green (Arena Theatre and Tour), ‘Dancing About Architecture’ by Kat Wootton (Arena Theatre and Tour), ‘Bert’ by Dave Pitt and a series of four plays from across Europe as part of the Creative Europe POPDrama Project. Neil has also directed for 14/48 in Wolverhampton, Leicester and Seattle.
‘Bert’ returned to the stage in 2017 where it was used as the basis for an academic project investigating Audio Described theatre, from this the paper ‘Soundtrack as Auditory Interface: Exploring an Alternative to Audio Description for Theatre’ written by Neil and Mat Dalgleish was published and presented at conferences across the UK and Europe.
Over the past five years Neil has been involved in a number of Creative Europe projects working on developing Audio Description services across Europe, this work has taken him to France, Italy, Romania, Spain, Bulgaria, Portugal and Finland to share best practice, learn from partners on their approach and to promote the importance of Audio Description in theatres. This work has also seen Audio Description services provided, in some countries, for the first time.
