This May, Mandala is proud to engineer a new festival where emerging South Asian movement and musical artists are at the forefront. Three artists share personal works-in-progress from their diasporic experiences, collaborating with local artists to innovate and push cultural traditions and perspectives. This festival serves as a safe platform for bold expression.

LOCATION
UChicago’s Arts + Public Life opened up its state-of-the-art black box theatre, Green Line Performing Arts Center, and we’re proud to showcase emerging talent in this critical new space. Together we are creating new avenues for communities of color, and building active arts spaces for folks to collaborate and share their work. 


ARTIST LINE UP
Neha Khosla: exploring overlaps in between cultures and diasporas, from South Asian to Dominican. She illustrates stories of immigration and identity by fusing hip hop, contemporary, Indian classical, Latin, and Caribbean styles.

Ashwaty Chennat: drawing from histories and reflections upon mental health within communities of color, she collaborates with jazz percussionist, Alvin Cobb Jr., to reflect through rhythm and narrative. Classical Indian dance, contemporary movement and jazz intersect.

Laksha Dantran: creating dance theatre involving classical Indian and folk forms to make powerful and positive messages from and for the trans community. She reimagines the story of “Mohini,” a gender-fluid heroine, to empower and find endless relevance in trans narratives.