Chai Lates

Jaymini Bedia

Jaymini is a Colchester-born Indian dancer and artist, on a mission to break down stereotypes and bring cultural awareness: predominantly through the medium of dance. Jaymini’s work draws upon various styles of Indian dance: from contemporary Bollywood to traditional Gujarati folk dance; energetic Bhangra to classical Bharatanatyam. She aims to bring people together in a safe and inclusive environment, one step at a time.

Jaymini has worked in the community for two decades, running both local and regional workshops alongside performing for a range of events at The Mercury Theatre and Firstsite, including Essex Book Festival’s Stand Up For Diversity and International Women’s Day 2023, where she combined spoken word poetry with Bharatanatyam mudras and movement to create an interactive, unique performance honouring ‘The Women Within’.

Jaymini is also local primary school teacher and a board member at Colchester Arts Centre. She is co-curating Chai Lates, driven to offer a platform to artists from the South Asian diaspora and ensure that the theatre is a welcoming and safe space for all members of the community.

Find out more at jayminibedia.co.uk / Instagram: @jayminisbollywooddance / Facebook: @JayminisBollywoodDance

Atul K Shah

Professor Atul K Shah is past Chairman of First Site, winner of Colchester Legend Award, writer, author of four research monographs published by Routledge, BBC broadcaster, renowned and award winning academic. He will be performing poetry around the theme of Business Ethics.

Find out more at atulkshah.co.uk.

Akshaya Thomas

Akshaya Thomas is a master’s student studying psychology at the University of Essex, with a background in dancing. Her life has been driven by her passion for dancing since she was a small child, and she spent thirteen years studying bharatanatyam before switching to contemporary dance for a year, and now she mostly performs Indian contemporary styles. In addition, she got various chances to perform a variety of different styles, including folk, Bollywood, and mohiniyattam. Dancing is the art form that allows Akshaya to convey tales, express her feelings and establish the deepest connections with people.

Priyanka Salamonczyk

Priyanka is a woman of Indian heritage, born and raised in Colchester. She runs Nanimas, a light-hearted take on learning Gujarati traditions passed down in her family and adapting them for modern life. Her project explores British Asian culture, finally learning basic desi adulting skills and funny culture clashes with her husband, Andy.

Professionally, Priyanka is an experienced innovator who believes in the power of empathy, shared purpose and collective action. In her current role at UNICEF UK she creates new and exciting fundraising products as well as being a trustee for the charity Reach Volunteering in her spare time.

Find out more at nanimas.co.uk.