Akademi has a long-standing tradition of presenting innovative conferences and symposiums that have focused for the most part on the development of British South Asian dance, and revealed Akademi’s place at the heart of that growth. These conferences, symposiums and days of debate have been one of the hallmarks of Akademi’s thirty year presence in the UK, extending from the most recent - Frame by Frame: the Dance of Indian Cinema (2009), Negotiating Natyam (2005), No Man’s Land- Exploring South Asianness (2004) and South Asian Aesthetics Unwrapped (2002) – back to the three-day conference held in London in 1983 titled The Place of Indian Dance in British Culture.
Akademi is renowned for its ground breaking work in encouraging and stimulating debate on South Asian dance. Akademi combines the leading thinkers and contemporaries to host some of the most debated and visually interesting symposium and conferences examining the art form of South Asian dance. Each one focuses on various themes, such as its latest symposium Frame by Frame, which chartered the history and evolution of the Dance of Indian Cinema from screen to stage. A mix of informative talks, sharp debate; spectacular screenings and performances shaped the debate to the historical, political, socio-economic and aesthetic impact of the dance form internationally while examining its socio-cultural roots.
