Divya is a creative-woman of colour born, brought up in India and living and working in the UK in the arts sector since 2006. Her everyday experience of working within perceived notions of identity, hierarchy and alienation stems from her own personal immigrating experience married alongside her eclectic professional expertise in the fields of Dance, Choreography, Music, British Physical Theatre, Technology, Television and Community.

As an independent artist having a track record of working with a range of organisations, companies and conservatoires, some of which include-

* one of the actors of Complicite’s award-winning theatre production ‘A Disappearing Number’ having toured internationally including the West End, Broadway and National NT-Live.

* Lent vocals for various albums and films in India and has worked with Sir Paul McCartney and Nitin Sawhney in the UK

* Choreographed ‘A Little Princess’- a musical for National Youth Musical Theatre (NYMT) * Studio Wayne McGregor QuestLab artist

* Set the record for creating the first virtual masters dissertation in the field of South Asian Dance Practice-as-Research.

* Choreography commissions and teaching Dancetechnique to BA Contemporary Dance students at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance; London Contemporary Dance School/The Place; Centre for advanced training (CAT)

* Combining Dance and Technology, a pioneering achievement was integrating 3-D Hologram Technology and South-Asian Dance for the first time in the UK

* South-Indian Television industry spanning a portfolio of tasks including news reading, program anchoring, conceptualizing musical shows, directing and presenting a dance learning series for kids.

Divya is all for innovation coming from a strong sense of grounding and collaboration. Fleeting, eye-catchy, substance-less are a strict ‘no’ for her and her creative explorations. More than three decades of performing experience combined with more than 15 years of experience working in the community enables an expansive knowledge and skill-sharing acumen. She champions the cause of professionalisation of less-popular/accepted forms like South Asian Dance/Dancers/Students.

Divya mentors and train young people from the age of 4 and upwards including adults. She support their artistic ambitions alongside providing healthy atmosphere for peer-learning, co-learning and sharing.

Divya says “ I hope to being able to share fresh, unbiased ideas coming from a place of earnestness in my wanting to expand and broaden not just my own perspectives but also of others in the wonderful team. From Barbican Theatre’s ethos and philosophy, the following really stood out for me – “your voice, stories, your place; freelancer ecology ; cross-pollination ; offering opportunities for the under-represented in the arts; inclusion”. They are some of my own thoughts that I grapple with constantly and hence resonate very much among of course very many others. I feel such values tend to stand a better chance to incarnate and evolve in a better manner collaboratively than in isolation.”

Favourite Quote- “ Its not worthwhile remembering a past which cannot become the present” – Soren Kierkegaard