Highlights
- Indian arts organisation Samarpan reveals its 2026 programme of performances and learning initiatives in Wales.
- Dance showcase and the return of UTSAV festival headline the calendar at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
- New learning hub Ty Vidya will expand training in Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Carnatic vocal music.
Performances highlight a growing calendar
Cardiff-based arts organisation Samarpan has announced its programme for 2026, continuing its effort to bring Indian classical music and dance to audiences across South Wales.
The new season builds on the organisation’s expanding activities in recent years, combining performances, workshops and outreach projects aimed at widening access to South Asian cultural traditions.
The new season builds on the organisation’s expanding activities in recent years Samarpan
One of the main events will take place on May 16, when Samarpan presents a double-bill Bharatanatyam performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. The evening will feature Welsh dancers Nithya Menon and Ann Sunny, both students of Samarpan who completed their Arangetram and continue to train under artistic director Dr Santosh Nair.
The performers will appear alongside a live orchestra and the Samarpan Ensemble, with the ensemble opening the programme with a short performance. Organisers say the event aims to provide emerging artists with professional platforms while connecting local audiences with Indian classical dance.
UTSAV festival returns to Cardiff
Later in the year, Samarpan’s annual festival UTSAV will return to Cardiff on September 13.
Created to address the limited availability of classical Indian arts programming in the region, the festival celebrates the diversity of Indian dance traditions while bringing together established performers and emerging talent from the UK and abroad.
The group regularly contributes to celebrations organised by the Wales Pooja Committee Samarpan
The event, also hosted at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, will once again focus on the depth and variety of classical Indian dance forms. The full line-up for the 2026 edition is expected to be announced in the coming months.
Samarpan founders Dr Leena Menon and Dr Santosh Nair said the new season reflects the organisation’s continued development. They described the programme as one that remains rooted in tradition while exploring new collaborations and creative directions.
New learning centre expands training opportunities
Alongside its performance programme, Samarpan is launching Ty Vidya, a new centre dedicated to training in Indian classical art forms.
The initiative will bring together the organisation’s education activities, offering classes in Bharatanatyam and the North Indian classical dance form Kathak, as well as Carnatic vocal music. Bharatanatyam classes will continue to be held in Cardiff every Saturday.
Kathak lessons will be led by dancer Kinga Malec, a senior student of renowned guru Nirupama Rajendra. Carnatic vocal training will be delivered online by Chaitrra Sairam, a senior disciple of the noted musician Bombay Jayashree Ramnath.
Its work is rooted in Cardiff’s long-standing South Asian heritage Samarpan
Founded in 2017 by Dr Leena Menon and Dr Santosh Nair, Samarpan began as a dance school and has since developed into a cultural organisation presenting performances, training programmes and community events. The group regularly contributes to celebrations organised by the Wales Pooja Committee and has performed at Diwali events hosted by the Welsh government.
Its work is rooted in Cardiff’s long-standing South Asian heritage. The city’s docklands, particularly Butetown, were home to one of Britain’s earliest multicultural communities, shaped by seafarers from across the world in the early twentieth century.
Through performances, education and community engagement, Samarpan aims to continue building a space for Indian classical arts within Wales’s cultural landscape.
