Central Students and Staff support 'On the Shoulders of Kali', the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Kali Theatre

On Thursday 24 June, Central was pleased to support Kali Theatre’s 30th anniversary celebration, On the Shoulders of Kali, an online event marking 30 years of Kali Theatre.  The event also marked the launch of Kali’s new book THIRTY and the Kali Script Shop.

The invite-only On the Shoulders of Kali event was organised together with two of Central’s Creative Producing placement students, Radha Mamidipudi and Laura Dickens, and brought together local writers and representatives from Freedom Studios Bradford, Hampstead Theatre London, Leeds Playhouse, Leicester Curve, Oldham Coliseum, Pleasance London, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Royal Exchange Manchester, and Tara Theatre. 

Central’s Incoming Principal Josette Bushell-Mingo provided the welcome address for the event. 

Of her work organising the event with fellow Central student Radha Mamidipudi, Laura Dickens said: 

I’m very proud to have contributed to this landmark event.  It was a celebration of Kali theatre and a temperature check for the wider British theatre landscape.  Especially coming out of the pandemic, it felt important to reflect on Kali’s 30 years and to look to the future with renewed excitement.  I hope Kali’s THIRTY book, recording of the symposium and accompanying report will be a vital resource for Central and UK theatres for many years to come.

Kali Theatre develops and presents groundbreaking, thought provoking, contemporary theatre by women writers of South Asian descent that reflects and comments on our lives today.  It has and continues to play a significant role in British theatre.  

Since 1991, Kali has developed and presented over 100 groundbreaking new plays by women writers of South Asian descent. This high-quality work, reflecting South Asian experiences, has constantly empowered the voices of South Asian women, has seen them play a leading role in theatrical creativity and made a significant and positive contribution to diversifying the programming of British theatre. Many of the South Asian women writers Kali has discovered have gone on to write for other theatre companies, television and radio.  

The event is now available to watch on Kali Theatre’s YouTube Channel 

Find out more about Kali Theatre on their website.