About Us – Natyatmika

Natyatmika Institute of Indian Arts and Culture (NIIAC) thrives to nurture arts and culture of Indian subcontinent, through Performance, Education, Community Outreach and Knowledge Transfer Programmes. NIIAC based in London, aims to foster appreciation and understanding of Indian arts and culture by facilitating engagements with artists and academic researchers. NIIAC’s pursuit in revitalising the expansion and expression of rich indigenous history and artistic essence of India,pushes the limits to find the best and make it better! It’s all about embracing history, celebrating the culture, and creating pathway to future!

Among the tasks undertaken by NIIAC are regular classes, workshops, performances, lectures and research support all over UK and India to create awareness contouring substantial studies in Indian arts and culture from multiple perspectives – epistemological, aesthetic, scientific, religious, ethnological and practical. NIIAC has established classes across UK, teaching Indian diasporic and international students, instilling knowledge and a sense of responsibility towards preserving India’s arts and culture.

This charitable institution also aims for the welfare of helpless artists and to revive extinct ancient Indian arts and heritage fostering its richness back to life.

Founder and Director of NIIAC

Dr Janaki Nair is the founder and artistic director of Natyatmika Institute of Indian Arts and Culture (NIIAC). As a performer, researcher, indologist, actress and a media professional she has won many accolades for her dedicated works to foster Indian arts and culture.

One of the outstanding disciples of Shri Nelliyodu Vasudevan Nampoothiri, Janaki has followed a rigid training regime in Kathakali for fifteen years. She was aptly awarded with Government of India’s talent scholarship for her flair and passion in Kathakali. Her inclination towards male characters in Kathakali has catalyzed her to stage many challenging characters. She has completed Masters degree in Bharatanatyam (MFA) and has been lucky to avail training in Mohiniyattom from one of the acclaimed dancer Dr Neena Prasad. She is also trained in Kuchipudi by exponent Shri. Kishore Mosalikanti.

Janaki S Nair - Natyatmika Dance School Director — Janaki S Nair – Director NIIAC

Janaki also has directed documentaries and acted in various films and television soaps. She has won Kerala State Television Award (2015) for Best Actress and Adoor Bhasi foundation International Short Film Festival Award (2016) for her acting in the short film ’Riverlife’.

She has a PhD in Visual Anthropology and a Masters degree in Media and Public Relations from Newcastle University. She is currently a Research affiliate at the University of Oxford and is continuing her academic research at post-doctoral level. Her papers are widely accepted in various international conferences such as IFTR (Hyderabad), ICSVC (Cyprus), ACCHA (Australia), SARI (Paris), IFTR (Stockholm), Text and Ritual Seminar (Aarhus) etc.

A fellow of Royal Society of Arts, London, Janaki collaborates with international organisations and artists to mobilise and sustain the presence of traditional Indian arts and culture. Whilst her expertise is deeply rooted in Indian dance and cultural practices her engagement with the investigatory potential of practice-based research offers a unique perspective on the creative potential of traditional art within contemporary academic contexts. Clearly her interdisciplinary and cross- cultural range of practices opens many possibilities to showcase, preserve and disseminate traditional practices and pedagogy.