The Kala Sangam Commission

The Kala Sangam Commission 2026

We are excited to announce the second round of the Kala Sangam Commission for Indian classical performance work is now open. The Kala Sangam Commission was launched in 2023 to mark the 30th anniversary of the organisation and the first recipients were Akshay Sharma and Meera Patel.

The £10,000 commission is to support an artist or company to develop a new piece of performance work that showcases the breadth and variety of Indian classical artforms, that combines tradition with new ideas to challenge expectations and connects with audiences in new ways.

The commission is for artists or companies working in any performance artform with its roots in Indian classical traditions, including dance, music or drama. It is open to artists at any stage of their career and is intended to provide partial funding for the development of a new piece of work for the stage. We will work with the successful artist or company to help them apply for additional funding to support the project. We will also offer organisational and developmental support as needed.

The commission includes a minimum of 4 weeks studio time at Bradford Arts Centre – one of these weeks can be a tech week in our theatre, the opportunity to share work in progress and a guaranteed performance at Bradford Arts Centre when the work is ready. The commission fee will be available to be drawn in two payments- £5000 in 2026/27 and £5000 in 27/28.

Dr Geetha Upadhyaya, Founder of Kala Sangam said, ‘I am delighted to be launching the second round of the Kala Sangam commission. Supporting new work is essential as it keeps culture and knowledge alive whilst encouraging innovation, inspires and gives a voice to future talents which in turn strengthens the creative community.’

Who can apply:

The Kala Sangam commission is open to all performance artists or companies working in Indian classical artforms for the stage, including dance, music or theatre.

Multi artform work is welcome. Other artforms, such as contemporary dance, can be part of your idea, but an Indian Classical artform must be the core of the project.
You could be at any stage of your career – this might be your first big project or you already have an established body of work.

We are looking for new work that has not previously been performed, but would welcome applications for work that has undergone some early research and development.

This specific commission is focussed on the Indian Classical artforms that Kala Sangam has historically specialised in supporting. In this instance we mean the 8 Indian Classical dance forms (Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi, Sattriya, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Mohiniyattam), two Indian Classical music styles (Hindustani and Carnatic) and traditional Indian theatre (such as the Yakshagana, Jatra and Bhavai styles).

Applicants MUST be UK residents, aged over 18.

How to apply:

We just want to hear about your idea and the artforms it uses.

Send us no more than 2 sides of A4 or a 3 minute video explaining what your idea is, what artforms it includes and how you want to develop the piece. Please include your name, email address and phone number on the application. Additional material, including CVs will not be considered.

Email your application to: Alex Corwin (Programme and Artist Development Manager alex.corwin@bdartscentre.co.uk)

If you have any questions, please email Alex.

Deadline: 12pm on Tuesday 31 March 2026

What happens next:

A panel made up of Bradford Arts Centre staff and Indian Classical performers, led by Kala Sangam’s founding Artistic Director Dr Geetha Upadhyaya will decide on a shortlist of applicants to invite for interviews taking place in April 2026 (These will be in person or via zoom).

The final decision will be made by the end of April 2026.

2024/25 Commissions 

Our first commissions were awarded to Akshay Sharma and Meera Patel and their works will be part of our opening season in Autumn 2025.

Akshay Sharma – What Did The Fire Burn?

Akshay Sharma, one of our Kala Sangam commission recipients, shared an intimate work in progress performance of his work ‘Leave To Remain’ exploring belonging, transformation and location.

Meera Patel – Attuning

In December, Meera Patel, who was awarded our other Kala Sangam commission, brought three preview performances of ‘Attuning’, a new piece of work exploring a new interactive experience through classical Indian dance and music. The performance was created to be brought to life through tactile and immersive methods for blind and visually impaired audiences.