It is a privilege to serve as a Global Indian Ambassador for culture and the arts. Performing arts has been transformational for me, it’s helped me grow and develop as a person, not just an artist. I’ve grown up with it, and feel immensely grateful to be able to do what I love and believe it can touch and change lives. In a country that had an almost non- existent infrastructure to support performing arts and artists, with limited access to training and opportunities to perform, this was made possible only because of the support I have had, and the education I have been lucky to gain access to.
I am extremely passionate about filling the void of vocational training in dance and performing arts and making quality education accessible to young artists in India, and other places that don’t have access to adequate funding for the arts. Moreover, to make Ballet, an otherwise elitist art form, to be within the grasp of anyone who wants to pursue it.
Coming to the UK to do my MA in Musical Theatre Performance at the Royal Academy of Music has allowed me to simultaneously build a network of significant contacts within the UK arts industry. This has led to several prestigious UK institutions like ArtsEd and BlakeArts conducting workshops at my school in India. I’m hoping to continue to build stronger ties between the UK and Indian artistic community through these collaborations and my role with the Global Indian Series is to continue to encouraging important exchanges of information and ideas through cultural exchange.
About Ambassador Pia Sutaria:
Pia Sutaria, a graduate of the Professional Dancer’s Teaching Diploma at the Royal Academy of Dance, London, has performed all over the world with India’s premier Dance Theatre Company “Navdhara” (USA, Turkey, Israel, Canada, Japan). She has performed as a soloist at the National Centre for Performing Arts and Royal Opera House in Mumbai and has represented brands like Dove, Jockey, Puma and Nike as a ballerina in India. She was recently awarded a Disney Scholarship to pursue her MA: Musical Theatre Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, London. She is currently the resident Ballet teacher at Shiamak Davar’s Institute.
During her study at the RAD, Pia realised the deep void that existed in vocational training for young dancers in India. As a result, Pia’s vision is to make vocational training in dance accessible to young artists. Moreover, to make Ballet, an otherwise elitist art form, to be within the grasp of anyone who wants to pursue it.
In 2018, Pia founded the “Institute of Classical and Modern Dance” with a focus on preparing and mentoring ICMD’s vocational students to pursue a higher education in dance and performing arts internationally, her school has successfully sent students on scholarships to top performing arts institutions in Paris, New York and London.
About our Global Indian Ambassadors
Our Global Indian Ambassadors are active leaders in social custodianship, representing the fields of politics, business, entertainment, academia, activism and beyond. They demonstrate integrity in their professions and serve as positive role models through their work.
Our Ambassadors have played a critical role in raising awareness of community building and have continued to use their talent and platform to advocate, educate and fundraise on behalf of the Global Indian Series for a range of activities, including philanthropy.
Our core ethos is to unite in the human experience of us and provide a safe mooring ground for open discussions. Together our Global Indian Ambassadors have proven that regardless of nationality, perceived status or religion, we can all be a powerful tool in mobilising the support needed in creating environments that thrive on passion, purpose and togetherness.
The role of our Ambassadors is to assist in spreading our work and to provide a bridge that connects economy, politics and society together and serve as a tool in enhancing a true sense of community for people of Indian origin and beyond.
