AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

http://www.rakinidevi.iinet.net.au

Born in Calcutta of Indian and Burmese parents, Rakini Devi is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Trained in Indian Classical Dance, she began her exploration into cross-cultural dance techniques with her company The Atman Project, later The Kalika Dance Company. She has performed in Tokyo, New York, Toronto, San Francisco, Cape Town, Madrid and Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.

Rakini’s work can be described as hybrid theatre / performance art. She often includes text, her own visual art, film, and original new music/sound. She has collaborated with artists from diverse practices who share her interest in creating art that challenges our notions on race, culture, social issues and new technologies.

She hopes to establish a base at her current home in Melbourne similar to one she had in Western Australia, where she had her own work space, and for ten years supported other artists by hosting them while also setting up an exchange system. As an example, through her contacts, she was able to live in New York while a choreographer friend had a stint in Tokyo, taking over her space for the duration of her work.

On an artistic level, her work is about collaborations with other performance artists, musicians, and multi-media practitioners, such as visual artists and filmmakers. She has sat on many art funding boards, and continues to guest teach at Universities or dance institutions that provide dance training.

Rakini says she has found in her travels that the arts communities all over the world can be quite similar in that they are usually small, suffer the same difficulties, and enjoy the same passion for sacrificing a safe and secure life for one that is artistically challenging. Rakini wants to help generate support for artistic communities, as well as offering her own contribution on many levels. Go Rakini!