Nartan Festival Talk: The Origins of Indian Performing Arts

Where did natya - the ancient Indian art form combining theatre, dance, and music - come from, and how was it first imagined? This talk by Dr Maddalena Italia, Associate Lecturer (Teaching) at UCL, explores early Sanskrit texts that describe performance as a powerful way to move, teach, and delight, with ideas that still echo in Indian performing arts today. We’ll look at myths, theories of emotion, and moments from the Sanskrit drama Shakuntala, read aloud in both Sanskrit and English.

No prior knowledge is necessary to enjoy the talk, just a curiosity about Indian cultural heritage.

This talk is kindly supported by The Richard Bonney Literary Fund. It is presented as part of Nartan Festival, a celebration of South Asian arts curated by Nupur Arts, supported by Leicester City Council and funded by Arts Council England. For information about other festival events, please see the full programme here.