News
March 2023: Jaivant Patel Dance is rebranding to Jaivant Patel Company (JPCo)
Following the recent announcement that Jaivant Patel Dance will join Arts Council Englands’s National Portfolio of Organisations (NPO) during the period 2023-26, we are excited to reveal the rebrand of the organisation. Jaivant Patel Dance will now be formally known as Jaivant Patel Company (JPCo).
As Jaivant Patel Dance, we have always worked with cross-art forms in our programme strands to include genres such as Indian classical music, spoken word, visual arts and film. Therefore, rebranding to Jaivant Patel Company will be more reflective of our artistic vision, ethos and future ambitions. The work we produce, develop and platform will continue to push the boundaries of South Asian arts and culture, with a focus on dance.
We are pleased to share with you our new logo and values: JOYFUL, REIMAGINE, BOLD.
In the coming months you will see some changes to our website, social media handles, PR and marketing.
Thank you to all our funders, collaborators, advocates, and audiences for your continued support. We are excited to take you with us on this new journey from our Wolverhampton base in the Black Country.
November 2022: Jaivant Patel Dance announced as one of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation for the 2023-26 period.
Jaivant Patel Dance is pleased to announce we will join Arts Council Englands’s National Portfolio of Organisations (NPO) during the period 2023-2026. We are very grateful to Arts Council England for the recognition of our contribution to the UK cultural landscape from our Wolverhampton base and their investment in a diverse led South Asian Arts organisation.
For further information from Arts Council England on its National Portfolio Investment 2023-26 please click on the link here.
MAY 2021: Virtual Nritya Black Country (1960-2000) Exhibition Launched.
Jaivant Patel Dance launches in Partnership with Wolverhampton Art Gallery and University of Wolverhampton, a virtual 3D tour of Nritya Black Country.
We are excited for this to be the first launched online virtual tour of an exhibition for Jaivant Patel Dance.
Click here to visit the online exhibition.
'Virtual: Nritya Black Country' is part of Jaivant Patel Dance's programme marking the company's 15th Anniversary in 2021.
The exhibits on show allow online visitors to discover the interwoven threads, connecting place, people and cultural heritage - and look to the future with contemporary artists reinventing Indian dance.
Alongside this virtual exhibition, you can also view our documentary featuring some the regional pioneers and members of the local community. Their work embedded an appreciation of Indian dance into the wider cultural fabric of the country, connecting people through the global culture of Indian dance.
Nrtiya Black Country was made possible through the generous support of National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Nritya Black Country exhibition was open to the public at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from 19th September to 20th December 2021.
MARCH 2021: Jaivant Patel Dance invited to showcase work in the presence of UK’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden at Grand Theatre Wolverhampton.
Beverley Knight, Peter Chand, Jaivant Patel and Steve Bull at Grand Theatre Wolverhampton
On Monday 29th March 2021, Jaivant Patel Dance was invited by the Grand Theatre Wolverhampton to showcase the work being developed in partnership with local artists in relation to the venue’s Culture Recovery Fund success. JPD workshopped an extract from a piece in development with Peter Chand for Dementia Cafe in the presence of UK’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and representatives from The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Also present were the celebrity singer Beverley Knight and renowned ex-Wolves football player Steve Bull.
Click here for the DCMS promo on social media featuring Jaivant Patel Dance.
Click here for the Express & Star coverage mentioning Jaivant Patel Dance.
FEBRUARY 2021: Jaivant Patel Dance in conversation with NSCD Principal Sharon Watson for ‘Northern Roots’ podcast series to mark LGBTQ+ History Month.
Jaivant Patel Dance was invited by Northern School Of Contemporary Dance as alumni for a conversation with principal Sharon Watson, as part of their ‘Northern Roots’ podcast series.
Artistic Director Jaivant Patel talks about the work of the company in exploring South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives to mark LGBTQ+ History Month 2021.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
FEBRUARY 2021: Jaivant Patel Dance receives new commission for Akademi’s South Asian Dance On Screen Festival 2021.
Jaivant Patel Dance is one of the recipients of Akademi’s new commissioned short original screen dance works.
The piece is entitled ‘I Am Your Skin’ and Jaivant Patel Dance will be collaborating with Matthew Cawrey and Ali Harwood.
The aim of these commissions is to increase the presence of South Asian dance in dance film festivals. This commission will premiere at Akademi’s online South Asian Dance On Screen Festival taking place on 18th to 19th March 2021.
#ADFF2021
Click here for further details.
JANUARY 2021: Jaivant Patel Dance’s YAATRA finalist in Eastern Eye’s ACTA Award for Dance 2020.
Jaivant Patel Dance is pleased to announce our recent ground-breaking production YAATRA, is a finalist in Eastern Eye’s Arts, Culture & Theatre Awards (ACTA) for Dance 2020.
Image of Jaivant Patel, courtesy of Boneshaker Photography
YAATRA, is the first UK dance theatre production of its kind, amplifying South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives. To receive recognition of this kind as part of the UK’s only current South Asian Arts Awards is an incredibly important milestone and acknowledgment for South Asian LGBTQ+ voices and community. – Jaivant Patel, JPD Artistic Director.
Jaivant Patel Dance would like to thank all the creative team and partners involved in the success of YAATRA. We also would like to thank the audience who attended our performances during the national tour.
The awards were due to take place last year, but due to current pandemic were postponed. The awards ceremony will now take place virtually on Friday 12th February 2021 at 6pm. Click here to register and watch the awards ceremony.
JANUARY 2021: Jaivant Patel Dance celebrates its 15th Anniversary!
Jaivant Patel Dance reaches an important milestone in 2021, when the award-winning independent arts organisation celebrates is fifteenth anniversary.
Our many achievements during these 15 years include: *Award-nominated 'YAATRA', the first UK dance theatre production of its kind amplifying South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives. *Curating 'Nritya Black Country' exhibition and archive, recording the story of South Asian Dance in The Black Country (1960-2000). *Being awarded The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service for services to dance. *Becoming Associate Artist at Arena Theatre and Midlands Arts Centre. *JPD Artistic Director named on Akademi 's powerlist of '40 under 40' South Asian Dance artists to look out for in the UK. *Faithfully platforming South Asian arts professionals and nurturing emerging and community artists/groups for curated programmes including Tiranga, Holi - Basant Ke Rang, Samarpan Mahotsav, Diwali Utsav and Deepavali curations across the West Midlands. *Incorporation of JPD including recruiting a board of trustees and critical friends.
“I never would have imagined JPD would be celebrating 15 years in 2021 from our humble beginnings and start in 2006. The loyalty of our audiences and participants, who continue to support and believe in our artistic vision has been integral to the success and reach of the work that the organisation delivers. Thank you to all our partners past and present, and a special mention to Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund for their ongoing investment in JPD. Here’s to another 15 years as we look forward to continuing building a future and legacy with our community.” -Jaivant Patel, JPD Artistic Director.
Thank you to all our supporters, partners, and funders, without whom Jaivant Patel Dance would not exist.
We are pleased to release a commemorative logo marking this special occasion, as we continue to build our legacy and passion for British South Asian Arts and Dance in The Black Country and beyond.
Look out for our celebratory logo which will be used in our upcoming programme for the rest of this year.
Logo Design: Boneshaker Photography.
DECEMBER 2020: MAC commissions Associate Artist, Jaivant Patel Dance for ‘It Gets Lighter From Here’ initiative.
Midlands Arts Centre commissions Associate Artist, Jaivant Patel Dance to create 'Jagmag Diye Jalao' for #ItGetsLighterFromHere, an initiative coordinated by Culture Central. The translation of the title for this piece has been interpreted as 'fill all the corners of the universe with luminous light'.
Image courtesy of Jamie Harley
The 60-second short was filmed in MAC’s new pocket garden and is the first artistic activity to take place in the space.
‘It Gets Lighter From Here’ is a collaborative, cultural experience from the West Midlands Culture Response Unit (WMCRU) – a virtual day of hope and positivity, showcasing a collection of 60-second films from organisations across the region.
Curated to mark the event of the Winter Solstice on 21st December, the purpose of ‘It Gets Lighter From Here’ is to provide moments of happiness and hope during what has been an incredibly challenging and unprecedented time for the industry – before it does, quite literally, start to get lighter.
Creative direction for the film is by Jaivant Patel, featuring vocals by Sanyogita Kumari, filmed and edited by Jamie Harley.
Please click here to view the short film.
NOVEMBER 2020: Kala Sangam invites Jaivant Patel Dance for ‘Back To Studio’ residency in 2021
Jaivant Patel speaking to Alex Croft (Creative Director, Kala Sangam) during the post-show Q&A of YAATRA’s preview performance ay Kala Sangam in May 2019
Kala Sangam has invited Jaivant Patel Dance to be apart of their recently announced 'back to the studio' residency as 1 of 10 companies the organisation already has an existing relationship with.
This residency will contribute towards the research and development for ‘Waltzing The Blue Gods’, a new Kathak production through a South Asian Queer lens.
Please click here for more information.
OCTOBER 2020: Research & Development of ‘Waltzing The Blue Gods', a new Kathak production through a South Asian Queer lens.
Following the recent successful national tour of YAATRA, Jaivant Patel Dance is pleased to announce it has received support from Arts Council England towards the research and development for ‘Waltzing The Blue Gods’, a new Kathak production through a South Asian Queer lens.
Holding graphic artwork designed by Boneshaker Photography
The new evening bill will include a choreographic commissioned work by Urja Desai Thakore and second piece of self-choreographed work by Jaivant Patel with live music.
Jaivant Patel is grateful for the opportunity to further deepen an understanding of Kathak in a continued desire to assimilate the form in existing artistic and creative practice, that compliments a contemporary dance background.
This new bill of work has been seed commissioned by Midlands Arts Centre & Arena Theatre
This phase of activity will continue Jaivant Patel Dance’s working relationship with Spin Arts.
Support-In-Kind partners include GemArts, Akademi, Kala Sangam & Black Country Touring.
#JPDWaltzingBlueGods
OCTOBER 2020: South Asian LGBTQ+ UK Performing Artists Survey Launched.
Jaivant Patel Dance in partnership with Kala Sangam have launched an anonymous national survey for UK-based performing artists of South Asian heritage who identify as LGBTQ+ and have created work, are currently developing work or have desire to do so in future, around South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives.
Click here to complete the anonymous survey.
The survey explores demand for work exploring South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives and responses will be used to help put forward the case for further investment in programming and developing artists from this marginalised and often underrepresented section of the South Asian community.
The survey came about as the result of a conversation that look place at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in September 2019 with a small group of South Asian LGBTQ+ dance artists, where it was clear that the needs, ideas and talents of artists from the South Asian LGBTQ+ community were being misunderstood or ignored and should be acknowledged.
We are encouraging all performing artists working as Actors, Dancer/Choreographers, Singers, Musicians, Directors and Playwrights etc to complete survey and to help spread the word to others who would be able to make important contribution to these important conversations.
The survey is open from 1st October until 13th November and should take 10-15 minutes to complete.
The data will be shared by JPD and Kala Sangam and will be anonymous
SEPTEMBER 2020: Photographer Ming De Nasty releases an image of Jaivant Patel Dance for TAG 2 (masc) exhibit.
Image courtesy of Ming De Nasty
An image was released from a series of shots taken of Jaivant Patel Dance by award-winning photographer Ming De Nasty, on the steps leading to St Peter's Church that feature Lady Wulfruna's statue in Wolverhampton.
A portrait from the series will feature in TAG 2 (masc), an exhibit as part of Shout Festival 2020.
TAG 2 is a series of photographic portraits of queer identifying men from The West Midlands that reflects on how they self identify and the impact of labels on their every day lives.
Please click here to read more about this project.
SEPTEMBER 2020: Nritya Black Country Documentary released for public viewing.
Connecting People Through the Global Culture and Heritage of Indian Dance: This documentary is part of an exhibition curated by Jaivant Patel Dance that shares stories, memories, photographs, films and objects collected from some of the pioneer dancers, teachers, choreographers and members of the local community. The items gathered allow visitors to discover the interwoven threads, connecting place, people and cultural heritage - and look to the future with contemporary artists reinventing Indian dance.
This project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
#NrityaBC
Please click here to view the full documentary on our YouTube channel.
SEPTEMBER 2020: Nritya Black Country exhibition, curated by Jaivant Patel Dance opens at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
Indian classical dancers Shyam Dattani, Abirami Eswar & Divya Ravi animating the exhibition space.
The Nritya Black Country exhibition is now open to the public and is showing at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from 19th September to 20th December 2020.
The exhibition curated by Jaivant Patel Dance, shares stories, memories, photographs, films and objects collected from some of the pioneer dancers, teachers, choreographers and members of the local community.
This project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
#NrityaBC
Please click here for further information.
JUNE 2020: Jaivant Patel Dance becomes a signatory of the National Freelance Taskforce in partnership with Fuel Theatre.
Image Courtesy of Matthew Cawrey Photography.
Jaivant Patel Dance is pleased to announce it is one of 138 organisations across the UK, working in partnership with Fuel Theatre to create the National #FreelanceTaskForce.
The group, which have each appointed and sponsored freelancers from across the UK arts scene, will work to amplify the voices of the self-employed about the future of theatre and performance right now.
The aim of task force is to strengthen the influence of the self-employed theatre and performance community. It will create ongoing points of connection between freelancers, organisations, funders, and government in the conversations to come, about how we manage the response to and recovery from the Covid-19 crisis in the performing arts sector.
All of the partnership organisations are joint signatories of an open letter to theatre and performance makers:
Please click here for the open letter.
MAY 2020: Jaivant Patel Dance awarded Arts Council Emergency Funding for Organisations (Non-NPO).
Image Courtesy of Matthew Cawrey.
Jaivant Patel Dance is pleased to announce it has been awarded emergency funding by Arts Council England to support the organisation’s sustainability and resilience during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Jaivant Patel Dance is grateful to the support of Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
JANUARY 2020: Jaivant Patel Dance invited to be an ambassador for Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton.
Jaivant Patel Dance was invited by Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton to become an ambassador.
Photo caption: (l to r) Hardish Virk, Jay Singh, Peter Chand, Jaivant Patel, Vicky Price, Ranjit Khutan, Pushpa Alexander and Ram-Singh. Image Courtesy of Jonathan Hipkiss.
The role of an ambassador will see an identified group of influential South Asian professionals working in Wolverhampton to support Grand Theatre in developing it’s South Asian and diverse audiences, developing its programming and building of local/regional partnerships.
The success of this ambassadors group has seen increased South Asian Audiences by approx. 20%
Click here for further information.
Image Courtesy of Matthew Cawrey.
NOVEMBER 2019: Jaivant Patel Dance named on Akademi’s ‘40 Under 40’ Powerlist.
As part of Akademi’s 40th anniversary, the organisation released a powerlist of ‘40 Under 40’ promising South Asian dance artists to look out for in the UK which included Jaivant Patel Dance.
Please click here for full announcement.
AUGUST 2019: Jaivant Patel Dance selected for British Council’s Artist Development Programme 2019 at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
British Council has announced Jaivant Patel Dance as one of 8 artists nationally invited to participate in their Artist Development Programme for Edinburgh Fringe 2019.
The selected artists will have special access to the Edinburgh Showcase, the platform of UK performance for an audience of international promoters, and develop international contacts.
Please click here for full announcement.
JANUARY 2019: YAATRA Tour Dates announced for 2019.
Jaivant Patel Dance is pleased to announce the 2019 tour dates and venues for YAATRA, a bill of Kathak and contemporary dance, championing the rich possibilities of work rooted in South Asian LGBTQ+ narratives.
Venues for the 2019 YAATRA tour include:
Image courtesy of Matthew Cawrey.
*2nd May 2019, Kala Sangam
*16th July 2019, Blue Elephant Theatre *17th October 2019, Tara Arts
*13th November 2019, Midlands Arts Centre
*23rd November 2019, Arena Theatre
*28th November 2019, Déda Derby
Note the performances at Kala Sangam and Blue Elephant Theatre are previews.
NOVEMBER 2018: ASSOCIATE ARTIST, MIDLANDS ARTS CENTRE.
Javiant Patel was announced as the new Associate Artist of Midlands Arts Centre in November 2018 alongside Johnny Autin.
Photo caption: (l to r) Jaivant Patel of Jaivant Patel Dance, Debbie Kermode, Chief Exec and Artistic Director of Midlands Arts Centre, Johnny Autin of Autin Dance Theatre. Image courtesy of Deniz Soezen.
Chief Executive and Artistic Director of MAC, Deborah Kermode says: “We’re proud to further MAC’s longstanding legacy of supporting artists to excel and find their own unique voice. We’re delighted to build on our relationships with Johnny Autin and Jaivant Patel - we hope that this association will support them as they continue to evolve in their professional journeys and produce topical, outstanding work.”
Recently voted the Most Visited Free Attraction in the West Midlands, MAC presents an extensive range of dance, theatre, literature, music, comedy, film, visual arts and digital arts created by regional, national and international artists. Its central mission is to make the arts an important part of people’s lives.
Midlands Arts Centre has been working closely with Johnny and Jaivant during the lead-up to this new partnership.
Please click here for the full announcement.
OCTOBER 2017: ASSOCIATE ARTIST, ARENA THEATRE.
Photo caption: (l to r) Jaivant Patel of Jaivant Patel Dance, Neil Reading, Venue Manager of Arena Theatre. Image courtesy of Crimson Rain.
Jaivant Patel was announced as the first Associate Artist of Arena Theatre in October 2017. Jaivant has been a cultural producer for sell-out shows at the venue since 2015, in turn diversifying the theatre’s audience and providing a platform to welcome patrons who had not attended shows previously.
His annual celebrations for the Indian festivals of Diwali and Holi, in particular, have become a firm favourite with local communities in The Black Country. As part of ArtFest 2017 & 2018, Jaivant also produced the highly successful Samarpan event, an evening that celebrated Indian classical dance in the UK.
Neil Reading, Arena Theatre Manager, said: "We have been working with Jaivant for the past four years and felt it was time to recognise his commitment and support of the venue. Alongside the theatre patrons we felt it appropriate to give Jaivant the title of Associate Artist to recognise our commitment to Jaivant Patel Dance and to support South Asian Dance as part of our programming policy at the Arena Theatre."
Jaivant Patel has worked with and programmed many reputable and emerging artists and groups both nationally and internationally for these shows including: Bollywood Dreams Dance, Rishii Chowdhury, Gabhru Panjab De, Nahid Siddiqui & Company, Vidya Patel, Swati Dance Company, Peter Chand, Pagrav Dance Company, Enter Edem, Nachda Sansaar, Chitraleka Dance Company, Nupur Arts Academy, Sujata Bannerjee Dance Company, Adaa, Giddha Sansaar, Desi Nach, Oddisi Movement Collective, Nrtiyasha, Yuva Gati, Shyam Dattani, Sonia Sabri Company, Aaja Nachle Let's Dance, Vinod Nair to name a few.
Please click here for the full announcement.