We are delighted to announce that The Narthaki Programme and its Founder Director Dr Anita Ratnam have been awarded the first International Arts Award (the Vishwa Kala Ratna Award) established by the Trust for the year 2017. The award is an extension of our already well established British National Indian Arts Awards Programme which celebrates and acknowledges the sterling contribution made by dynamic, well established individuals/organisations towards promoting and strengthening Indian Arts globally.

Through the establishment of NARTHAKI as a unique, cutting edge, and dynamic digital meeting and thinking place for Indian Dance professionals globally, Dr Ratnam has created a trail-blazing international portal that brings together, informs, energises and enthuses Indian, as well as international, dance professionals and connoisseurs. Narthaki, and Dr Ratnam’s own monthly column, not only provide an amazing platform where creative endeavor comes together (and many aspiring young dancers discover new directions), it also uniquely celebrates and challenges many established norms, providing its own creative dynamism in bringing about the change that must move the art forms forward in future.

As a dancer, choreographer, dance critic and a free thinking academic, Dr Ratnam has made a major, and often not fully recognised, contribution to bringing Indian Dance forms prominently on to the World Stage.

This Award is a recognition and celebration of Dr Ratnam’s life-long devotion and contribution to Indian Arts & Culture internationally.

On receiving the award, Dr Ratnam said:

“Thank you for the heartening news of my “growing baby” www.narthaki.com being selected to receive the first Vishwa Kala Ratna Award from Milapfest. This award comes at the perfect time for the dance community as we seek newer and more effective ways to connect as well as move the discourse on Indian dance forward with mutual respect for our heritage and roots. As an independent dance professional I accept this award on behalf of my colleagues Lalitha Venkat (content editor) and Sumathi (webmaster) who have made this journey alongside me from April 2000.

I will continue to strive to maintain the spirit that first spurred me to found the portal almost 17 years ago.”

Congratulations once again to Dr Anita Ratnam and the team at Narthaki.