Welcome to Pratibha Arts

Mission and Mandate:

Pratibha Arts serves to enhance and advance the cultural fabric of Ontario and Canada through the production, education and performance of and about arts, particularly dance and music with influences from South Asia. The organization’s vision is to promote a high standard of music and dance, as well as nurture future generations of artists in Ontario. ‘Pratibha’ means ‘creative ingenuity’ in Sanskrit. Under the vision of Artistic Director Bageshree Vaze, the organization has the following objectives (as outlined in its incorporation papers):

1) to educate and increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of the Arts by providing performances of an artistic nature in public places and educational institutions and by arranging and delivering educational seminars on topics relating to such artist performances.

2) to provide instructional seminars on topics relating to the performing arts.

3) To produce performing arts productions and festivals for the purposes of illustrating, educating and advancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of performing arts.

4) To ensure the continuation of the Arts by educating and developing artists through training and participation in performances, festivals, and related workshops.

Pratibha Arts produces activities primarily influenced by South Asian aesthetics (such as Kathak dance), but the organization's vision is to reflect the integration of arts and cultures in the Canadian mosaic and to propagate artistic excellence on mainstream platforms.

Board of Directors:

Bibhu Mohanty (President)

Meenakshi Alimchandani

Vishwas Dhekney

Carolyn Poplak

Rajneesh Sharda

Artistic Director 

Bageshree Vaze is an Indo-Canadian dance artist, musician and writer -- for full bio please visit

 www.bageshree.com

History:

Pratibha Arts was incorporated in the province of Ontario in 2011, and acquired federal charitable status in 2015. The organization was founded to create, produce and present multidisciplinary, high-quality works influenced by South Asian classical arts, but as a reflection of the Canadian cultural milieu. While many of its productions feature what are considered 'traditional' aesthetics, and are identified as 'culturally-diverse,' Pratibha Arts' impetus is to propagate these aesthetics as part of current, contemporary Canadian culture. 

Under the artistic direction of Bageshree Vaze, Pratibha Arts is based in the downtown area of Toronto, but has partnered with many other organizations such as Harbourfront Centre (for its Spectrum series in 2012, 2013 and Sadhana series in 2016), and Sampradaya Dance Creations (2017). Its work has been presented by DanceWorks, the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Canada Dance Festival. It has run a Dancer training initiative for the past four years, and promotes the professional development of emerging dance and music artists through this program, as well as the 'Sadhana' professional development series for emerging South Asian artists.

In 2018, Pratibha Arts is leading the launch of the Diasporic Dance Initiative, a platform for culturally-diverse dance companies to engage and develop audiences in downtown Toronto. This project is generously supported by the Toronto Arts Council's Open Door/Strategic Initiatives program.