Meet Our CAREleaders Ambassadors | Class of 2020-2021
Aditi
Dhruv
(she/her/hers)
I have been dancing since I was 3 years old, professionally since I was 23 years and 25 years later, still doing it. In addition, I have been teaching yoga and allied therapeutics for 15 years and most recently (or finally, depending on how you look at it!), I earned an MA in Ethics and Society. All these years of learning and experience have made me ever more interested in the strength of the human body and its potential as a source for good. Following the global #metoo movement, where no industry was immune including our Indian performing arts community, I am thrilled and beyond honored to be working alongside a dedicated team of CARELeaders. I am especially excited to be part of a group working to acknowledge structural harms and abuse in order to move towards a framework of care and equity, and in particular, to support the growth and healing of the members of our community. In my spare time (or to procrastinate) you'll find me dancing to dancehall in my apartment, going for jogs, trying new recipes and endlessly scouring the world for new books to read.
Bhavani
Ganesh
(she/her/hers)
Hi Everyone! My name is Bhavani and I am a junior in college, majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. My hobbies include singing Carnatic and Western classical music, writing short stories and watching foreign language films and TV shows. I joined CARESpaces because their mission of working towards creating a safer space within the Indian Arts really resonated with me. I’ve personally faced issues with boundaries and harassment in the Indian Arts Space and wished for a platform where I could share my feelings openly when it happened. I see this opportunity as a stepping stone towards a safer environment. By learning the stories of those affected around us, we can join hands together to develop a more amicable space to create the best form of art.
Chitra
Iyer
(she/her/hers)
(she/her/hers) I'm most passionate about stories- learning about the people around me, their intersecting identities, the journeys they've taken and the communities they inhabit. I'm a laboratory research technician interested in health disparities, trauma and inflammatory biomarkers at an LGBT+ research institute within Northwestern University. I come from 5+ years of experience within healthcare spaces prioritizing multi-marginalized communities, where I facilitated groups and led individual health education/motivational interview sessions on a wide array of topics, including sexual health, stress and trauma, healthy relationships, mental health, and more. From my clients, I’ve learned that our stories are our most precious asset- reaching forward from the past, they tangibly shape our futures, holding the keys to our recovery, healing and collective liberation. I've seen how one can be systematically stripped of their story or, worse, be forced to hide/ignore it themselves, often as a matter of survival; and the toll this can take on themselves, as well as their loved ones. I hope to utilize these lessons as a CAREleader, activating change through tailored advocacy and empowerment, using a trauma-informed, strengths based approach that centers one’s context/culture, lived experiences, needs and priorities. Music has been a focal point of my life for as long as I can remember- in addition to playing the violin and guitar, I trained and performed as a Carnatic and Western vocalist for over 18 years. It is impossible to consider individual acts of misconduct within Indian Arts communities without appraising the larger cultural, institutional and systemic factors enabling them to persist through silence, inaction and shame. Above everything else, I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to know you, and for your courage in sharing your truth. I hope to provide you a safe space, to remind you that your story matters, and that you aren’t alone. In my free time, you’ll find me on a hike, taking photographs of my sweet home, Chicago, thrift shopping, or singing to my very unamused cat.
Hari
Bhamidipati
(she/her/hers)
Hi, my name is Hari. I am currently finishing up my undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary pursuing a double degree in Biological Sciences and Music. In terms of my career endeavors I’d like to be involved in the health industry and become a doctor. Another avenue of interest to me is to learn more about music in medicine. If you’ve dabbled in the arts or even love listening to music or dancing for fun, I’m sure you can understand that there is definitely a healing aspect to music. It’s very exciting that this is being studied on a larger scale now, especially in relation to mental health and neurological diseases. Music has always been a large part of life both mentally and spiritually. Since I was 4 or 5 years old, I started going to Carnatic vocal lessons along with my sister in Doha, Qatar. When I got a little older, I also joined a Bharatanatyam class. Soon my family moved to Canada where I continued my vocal training and also decided to join a Bharatanatyam class for a few years before I started university. When I got to university however, all my artistic endeavors went on pause and in its absence, I understood how important music is to me which is what led me to restarting Carnatic lessons as well making music a part of my studies in university as well to explore how I can connect it to my life on a larger scale. I only very recently found out about the issues faced by members in the Carnatic community and was quite taken aback by it. With my previous experience in being an advocate for mental health, especially with training in taking care of elderly patients close to dementia at the hospital, I knew being a part of care spaces would be fulfilling. After learning more about how little is being done in the Carnatic community to directly tackle these issues, and the lack of support systems tailored to our community, culture, and arts, applying to be a CARE Leader was a no brainer. I hope I can be a friend, an outside perspective, or a shoulder to cry on for anyone that needs to be heard regardless of what they are currently going through.
Harini
Ganesh
(she/her/hers)
Hi, I'm Harini! I am currently a senior in High School entering college this fall, expecting to major in Data Science. I enjoy playing the carnatic violin, singing and making digital art in my free time. I joined CARESpaces because I am passionate about supporting my peers and want to contribute towards making the Indian Arts Space a safer and more welcoming environment to be a part of. I have grown up in this space and know how amazing, yet daunting it can be. I hope that a platform like this one can inspire others to start conversations and work consciously towards making this space a more warm and welcoming community.
Meera
Seshadri
(she/her/hers)
I am a choreographer and violence prevention specialist dancing and working in Cambridge, MA. My philosophy is trauma-informed and rooted in equity-centered design, social justice, and public health theories of change. I have over a decade of experience directing violence prevention and health education programs in multiple campus settings in the United States, including Emory, Georgetown, and Harvard Universities. I hold a Master's of Science in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in adolescent health and development and health communication. For the last 15+ years, I have been professionally choreographing, performing, and teaching classical, semi-classical, and lyrical contemporary dance worldwide. My international career as both an artist and activist merge beautifully in being a peer leader for CARESpaces. I am passionate about protecting one's right to bodily integrity, peace of mind, and freedom of spirit in all creative environments and am so grateful to work alongside artists and advocates who are committed to confronting inequity, developing resilience, and activating change in the Indian arts space.
Vaibhav
Iyer
(he/him/his)
Hello Everyone! My name is Vaibhav Iyer, and I'm a sophomore in college, studying Electrical Engineering. My hobbies include teaching, playing Carnatic and Bollywood music, and watching stand-up comedy. I joined CARESpaces because this is a mission and cause that is long overdue. As a member of the Indian Arts community, I understand and have personally faced the apprehensions, injustices, and grievances that can be a part of it. This is an opportunity to let others know that they are not alone and they are not weak in facing certain challenges that arise as being a part of this community. The Indian arts is one of the most beautiful of the world, and as the future, we have the power and ability to shift the dynamic and guide our community to a more civil and artistic environment worthy of its genre.
Meet Our CAREleader Alumni | Class of 2020-2021
Devyani
Nighoskar
(she/her/hers)
I am an independent journalist and researcher based out of India reporting on culture, development, identity, social justice and its intersections. What I love about my job is that it allows me to meet and interact with different people in different places and it is fascinating to learn about their lives and cultures. However, such fieldwork has also exposed me to the harsh realities of life and society; and how that severely impacts peoples’ mental healths. It’s through this exposure that I not just developed awareness around mental health but also became a strong advocate for encouraging healthy and open discussions around it. I have also seen a rising ‘hustle’ culture in the media and creative industry wherein I work. This is a largely overworked and underpaid industry without strong systems of work ethic which allows those in power to be less accountable than they should be. This has made several working environments for junior employees, particularly womxn more toxic. Recognising these gaps alongside the lack of conversation around these issues was what encouraged me to join CARESpaces and play my part in making a small yet a positive change in the lives of people who work in creative and cultural industries. My vast on-field experience has made me an empathetic listener as well as made me aware and sensitive to various cultural contexts of South Asia. I also hold a certificate in Mental Health and Crisis Management; capacitating me to better understand your issues and act in the capacity of a first responder. Importantly, it is my own lived experience with mental health issues; that I believe I can be a patient, non-judgmental and a supportive peer. :)
Snehaa
Sudarsan
(she/her/hers)
A post-graduate in Marketing & Strategy from the University of Warwick, and a passionate Bharatanatyam dancer, I have been part of ArtSpire from day-1. I have been part of several key client projects involving marketing and publicity, strategic planning and festival management. My inherent ability to look at the “big-picture” along with my meticulous planning and innovative thinking have been greatly beneficial in developing and executing comprehensive marketing and strategic plans for ArtSpire’s clients. Having learnt Bharatanatyam for over 20 years, in Muscat, Oman, I have a deeper understanding of artists’ creative processes and sensibilities. My interest lies in Arts Marketing and Arts Research and I am immensely passionate about promoting and bringing awareness to the Indian Classical Arts, around the world.
Shravya
Gurrapu
(she/her/hers)
My name is Shravya (she/her), and I am super excited to be a CAREleader. Dance and music have always provided me with a powerful method of expression and communication, which has allowed me to learn more about who I am and what I want to be in this world. While the Indian Arts community has provided me with incredible opportunities for growth and learning, I have also come to understand and experience some of the deep challenges that the community faces. Over the last several years, I have dedicated myself to learning about narratives that often are misrepresented or overlooked within South Asian societies, as I have sought to understand the complexities of gender-based violence and mental health. Along the way, I have channeled my love for the arts into a mission to work towards social change through spreading understanding, unity, and healing, while actively combatting ongoing justices. I cannot wait to get to meet all of you and to work towards creating more supportive spaces and environments for all people
Shweta
Veda
(she/her/hers)
Hi there! My name is Shweta and I’m so excited to be a CARELeader at CARESpaces! I’ve been playing carnatic violin for the past 15 years and completed my arangetram 3 years ago. Whenever people ask me how I ended up taking an interest in carnatic music, I’m never able to think of a reason why; it’s always been a part of my life and it will forever be a huge part of my life! Even though I’m in college and I don’t have as much time to practice or perform as I would like, I’m constantly filling my ears with classical Indian music (I’m a HUGE Ranjani-Gayatri fan… if you’ve seen me comment multiple times on their fan page… no you didn’t!). I was drawn to CARESpaces as I had recognized problematic events occurring in the Indian arts realm and wanted to help the Indian classical community become a more inclusive and safe space. I have dealt with issues in the Indian classical arts arena such as sexism, classism, teacher-student boundaries being overstepped, colorism, and many others; however, I am open to talking about any issue that may concern you. Aside from my engineering coursework and carnatic music practice, I love to try new recipes (I’ve been cooking my way through the “Just the Good Stuff” cookbook by Rachel Mansfield and have been loving every bite), drink kombucha (I may or may not have spent $70 on a kombucha starter kit in an attempt to make my own), watch The Queen’s Gambit (with the expectation that each time I watch it I will get one step closer to becoming an expert chess player), and completing the New York Times’ daily mini crossword puzzle (it is, without a doubt, one of the highlights of my day).