Manassamitra was set up in 2005 to present South Asian work to a wider audience and developed a reputation for the originality and quality of its work in schools and in the local community. It worked with local groups and communities and presented itself as a community organisation.
Over the last eight years or so the company challlenged itself and developed a more national and international profile, delivering cross partner international projects. The company’s aim as been to deliver innovative work and has developed high-quality ethnomusicology projects, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in Asian musical forms. Through this work Manasamitra developed strong original compositional skills which have been attracting commissions from a wide range of clients.
Manasamitra is proactive in its collaborative working practices, creating innovative fusion experiences from a diverse range of cultures, disciplines, skills and talents to create new content. The company has produced highly-original music touring productions like Shivoham, fusion dance work such as Rudra, immersive installation performances like Lullaby-Sonic Cradle, one-off commissioned performances such as the world-premiere of Pleiades Ne Maia for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and a range of education / community projects. These collaborations respect and challenge the ideas, forms and aesthetics of each genre whilst producing performances representative of the artistically rich world we are privileged to inhabit.
We are interested in engaging with audiences in new and exciting ways, creating events and experiences that involve all the senses. Our tea project – The Sound of Tea – engages all five senses in an original fusion of traditional tea ceremony, in-time digital feedback and drinking tea.
What do we do?
The company’s current Artistic Policy prioritises four key areas vital to keeping it fresh, dynamic and sustainable and providing focus to creatively evolve.
- Pioneer new performance vocabularies through multi-disciplinary collaborations which thrill and communicate intelligently with audiences
- Generate, produce and deliver challenging, thoughtful and provocative cross genre artistic programmes
- Develop new audiences
- Work with children, young people and families
We are proactive in seeking out collaborations, drawing together diverse disciplines, skills and talents from different cultures to create new content. This results in original touring productions like Shivoham and Rudra, special one-off commissioned performances and audience development activity. These collaborations respect and challenge the ideas, forms and aesthetics of each genre whilst producing performances representative of the artistically rich world we are privileged to inhabit.
Manasamitra has a clear mission: To be brave enough to produce excellent artistically and commercially successful performances which explore, explain and entertain. Travelling to unfamiliar territory and crossing artistic boundaries, maintaining artistic integrity, we tell stories relevant to many cultures and peoples.
Manasamitra is strongly committed to creating new quality productions, bringing innovative audience/participant experiences to venues nationally and internationally. The company champions and encourages social cohesion by performing in premium venues, theatres, festivals, cathedrals and community spaces and by delivering community based workshops/educational sessions in schools.
Team/Board
The Core Team consists of Supriya Nagarajan – Artistic Director/CEO, and Jacqueline Greaves – General Manager.
History
Founded in 2005, Manasamitra’s mission was to disseminate the enjoyment and understanding of Indian culture in all its forms to the widest possible constituency.
Archive
Coming soon!