Artist profile
Divija Melally
Divija am a movement artist trained in contemporary and South Asian Classical dance (Bharatanatyam), invested in taking movement and art to different spaces through performance, choreography and facilitation.
Her creative practice revolves around exploring the amalgamation of contemporary dance and Bharatanatyam with text and theatre. She is interested in creating works that explore social and human themes, and strive to offer new perspectives and stories. Working with communities lies at the heart of her practice, and she facilitates sessions for young people, older groups, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
She was an associate artist of Wildfire Rising with Movema, a programme to work with vulnerable communities in the UK, an Engagement Artist with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance (Window into the Tempest), and a Cultural Connector for Neon Dance. Divija wants to inform her practice further by conducting workshops for participants of different ages, needs and abilities
”I am really excited about being a part of Vital Spark as I would love to reflect more on and learn more about co-creating with young people, making work that accessible to them, and creating spaces that allow for difference, dialogue and interaction. I am looking forward to spending time exploring the ways in which I can expand my practice and work to resonate and connect with young people.
Divija MelallyRelationship Programme Artist
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The Vital Spark behind everything we do
We believe that all children should be able to experience arts and culture, and that they should be able to see themselves represented in these experiences. This is not yet the case for every child and we’re committed to changing that.
Our response is Vital Spark, and it's at the heart of everything we do. Vital Spark is about challenging and changing the lack of diversity in children’s arts and culture; it’s about diverse-led artistic decision making; it’s about not being afraid to stand up for what’s right.
We do this by supporting artists who are currently underrepresented in children’s arts and culture. We also work with partner organisations to create world-class opportunities for these artists and share best practice.
