In June, Trinity Laban welcomed scholars and academics from leading institutions across India, the United Kingdom and the United States to the inaugural Satyam Kalon London Seminar Series.
Hosted at Trinity Laban, the three day event was made up of thought-provoking seminars and engaging conversation. Attendees included a range of scholars and academics from partner institutions: Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, Bonn University, Columbia University, Barnard College of New York, Courtauld Institute of Art, Gibney Company (New York), KM Music Conservatory, University of Manchester, University of Roehampton, Shiv Nadar University and Trinity Laban.
In nine seminars across three days, speakers and participants explored the central theme of Representation, Imitation and Authorship. Seminar leaders spoke on a range of compelling topics from the aesthetics and migrations of gesture to the challenging intersection of performance and AI. Speakers included: Dr Aadya Kaktikar, Dr Adam Greig, Professor Aleks Szram, Dr Amrithasruthi Radhakrishnan, Professor Ann R David, Dr Charlotte de Mille, Dr Chloe Alaghband-Zadeh, Professor Colleen Thomas-Young, Dr Deepti Mulgund, Jayachandran Palazhy, Professor Jonathan Clark, Kyle Bukhari, Professor Lydia Goehr, and Dr Naomi Lefebvre Sell.
On the final day, students attending the seminars were grouped into different specialisms and given the opportunity to provide feedback on the seminars from the previous two days, reflecting on how the content connected to their own practice and thinking. The series provided space for students and speakers exchange ideas, spark conversation, and explore different perspectives.
To accompany the seminars there were two performances. The first To Rise Again by Mandeep Raikhy (dancer) and Anirban Ghosh (Baan G) (sound designer) saw a solo male performer move in and out of contact with the ground, exploring the social political, ecological and personal realities of being a queer person living with HIV. The seminar series concluded with a brilliant jazz performance by the Ant Law Trio at St Alfege Church.
Driven by philanthropic support, the Satyam Kalon Programme offers scholarships, research grants, and senior-level teaching to a select cohort of artists and scholars.
Professor Aleks Szram, Artistic Director at Trinity Laban said: “The last few days have been easily the most enjoyable and fulfilling of my academic life, and it’s been a privilege to hear from such a wide range of perspectives, spanning dance, philosophy, music and fine arts. There is so much that we can learn through analysing our practice through the practices of others, and we all left this event with a wealth of new ideas to experiment with, and just as importantly, having made new friends to discuss and debate with. At the final feedback session, one of the students described the Satyam Kalon experience as ‘drinking from a fire hydrant’, which I think resonated with all of us. Looking forward very much to the next meeting of the Satyam Kalon group at Shiv Nadar University in December!”
Dr Aadya Kaktikar, Associate Professor and Head of Department at Shiv Nadar University, Department of Art and Performing Arts, School of Humanities and Social Sciences commented: “Even within this hyperconnected world, it is rare to find a coming together of such a diverse group of scholars, practitioners and students all committed to the idea that the arts in all their manifestations make this world a better place. The first Satyam Kalon seminar set the tone for generative conversations around artistic practice that are not limited by genre, geography or generation one belongs to. It was a privilege to be a part of this and witness this gathering”.
The Satyam Kalon Seminar Series will continue from 15-17 December 2026 at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi.