A dance organisation has been successful in receiving grants as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) in the aftermath of coronavirus.
Srishti – Nina Rajarani Dance Creations is one of the nearly 1,400 cultural and creative organisations across the UK to have received this urgent support. The Bharatanatyam touring dance company plays a vital role in preserving and promoting Indian classical dance and music forms in the UK and has been adversely impacted due to coronavirus. With further new restrictions announced ahead of a potential second Covid-19 wave, the organisation hopes that securing funds from the Chancellor’s £257 million of investment of the CRF grants programme, will help them stay alive during the difficult winter months. which is being administered by Arts Council England.
In a statement, Artistic Director of Srishti Dance Creations, Nina Rajarani MBE said, “I am overwhelmed, relieved and grateful for this result. The trust and belief placed by Arts Council England in my company’s work has given me renewed strength to continue forging ahead, come what may.”
Srishti is a resident company of Harrow Arts Centre. Nina Rajarani was awarded an MBE for Services to South Asian dance in 2009 and received the prestigious choreography Place Prize for her choreography of ‘QUICK!’. At Srishti, she creates authentic classical Indian dance with a present-day twist, always featuring live musicians who become part of the story, so that her work reaches people who haven’t experienced classical dance before.
Srishti hopes to continue to develop these projects instead of having to close down whilst unable to perform to live audiences after receiving a lifeline from the CRF. The company will be able to provide paid work to freelance dancers as they develop new work to be shared either online or to live audiences when current restrictions ease. The CRF funds and their distribution is being administered by the Arts Council England.
