THEIYA ARTS DANCE COLLECTIVE 

About the Collective

TADC is the South Asian contemporary dance company of Theiyā Arts, and was established in 2020. It is a Collective of Edinburgh-based, South Asian dance artists who are committed to using 'Arts as Activism' and initiating dialogue about contemporary socio-political issues through the medium of South Asian Arts, within different audience contexts. ​The members of the Collective come from diverse professional and artistic backgrounds. In 2022, the Collective was nominated for Creative Edinburgh’s Collaboration Award and in 2023-24 were awarded a one-year funded Artistis Fellowship with the University of Edinburgh and the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society. ​Our choreographic work caters not only to the general public, but also Academics interested in socio-politically rooted artistic work, Artistic Practice as research, and the South Asian diaspora.​

Body of work

'Maiden | Mother | Whore'

Maiden | Mother | Whore is a multi-disciplinary mixed-media performance/exhibition that explores the complex relationships between women, social structures, health and social policies, and institutions. Drawing on women's embodied experiences and narratives, the work delves into the tensions between individuals-collectives, agency-power, and patterns of oppression-resistance through the lens of Transnational Intersectional Feminism. This collaborative project has emerged from a creative partnership between Theiya Arts Dance Collective (the performing unit for Theiya Arts) and academics from the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at The University of Edinburgh towards opening a dialogue between the academic community, artistic community, and audience and was supported by The National Lottery Fund, Creative Scotland and Dance Base, Edinburgh.  

'The Ticking Clock'

A webcast series discussing dance/movement films created by the Collective in collaboration with The Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society at The University of Edinburgh.


The series explored issues around Gender Identity and who is seen or not seen with the second webcast of the series being part of the programe of the 'Being Human Festival' in 2021.

'Still I Rise'

Daughters of the earth marks the first collaboration between Theiyā Arts and Agnyã movement which will form the basis for the creation of the Dance Collective.


We hold the multiplicity of our artistic practice and our diverse dance styles close to us in this piece and explore how we can holistically come together in a collaboration while still holding onto the essence of our individual practice and values. We explore themes of joy, flow and sisterhood that act as the threads holding our collaboration together.

A South Asian contemporary-classical dance production that centres on the urgency of climate change.


This performance is inspired by the 'Climate Clock' installation located in Time Square, New York which illustrates the time remaining before climate change becomes irreversible.


Using the countdown as the main component of piece for the performance and drawing from the elements traditionally used in South Asian classical dance forms to depict nature.

This project will enter a new stage of development in 2023 with the support of The Work Room


View our EdFringe 2022 Programme & Resource Guide.

'The Story I See'

A collaboration with Anahata Jazz band and the Glasgow Mela 2021.

Inspired by the writings of Rupi Kaur and Maya Angelou, we explored our

gender, individual, and collective identities as women in contemporary society.

'Daughters of the earth'