Jaivant Patel Company Celebrates 20th Anniversary With London Premiere of ASTITVA

This spring, the multi-award-winning Jaivant Patel Company marks its 20th anniversary with the London premiere of its most ambitious work to date, ASTITVA, at The Place on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 March following a UK tour.  

ASTITVA - meaning existence - unfolds over four acts: Seeking, Desire, Acceptance, and Love. Together they navigate universal emotions and tensions, from confronting sexuality within the constraints of cultural expectation to the longing for love and belonging. These personal stories come alive with gripping intensity and grace that resonate deeply with the human condition.  

With performers Amar Bains, Dominic Coffey, and Mithun Gill, an original score from Alap Desai composed in Raag Darbari, an Indian classical raga once associated with royal courts, and choreography and direction by Patel, ASTITVA offers a powerful, moving and rare portrayal of British Indian Queer men, holding a mirror to our own lives, families and values, while daring us to imagine new possibilities.  

Of ASTITVA, Jaivant Patel said: “ASTITVA addresses the lack of representation for South Asian Queer men in British theatres and dance houses. By highlighting the balance between tradition, sexuality, and personal truth, ASTITVA challenges misconceptions and stereotypes, bringing Queer South Asian stories to the forefront and celebrating a positive, authentic expression of identity.”  

For 20 years Jaivant Patel Company has created groundbreaking contemporary dance productions shaped by British-South Asian lived experiences, drawing on the breadth of South Asian dance forms and exploring themes and narratives rarely represented on British stages. Led by Queer British-Gujarati dancemaker Jaivant Patel, the company puts LGBTQIA+ stories at the heart of its artistic vision.  

The company's previous productions include Yaatra, an unapologetic exploration of sexuality, faith, and spirituality, and Waltzing the Blue Gods, which reimagines the queer symbolism of Hindu Gods Shiva and Krishna and their influence on Patel's own journey toward living openly as a homosexual British Indian man of Gujarati heritage.  

Since 2023 Jaivant Patel Company has offered the Samanta Commission, the UK's only seed commission for South Asian LGBTQIA+ artists, in partnership with Bradford Arts Centre. In 2026 this support will be strengthened by South East Dance joining as an additional partner. The company also runs an award-winning community arts programme that aims to explore the cultural heritage of India, positively demonstrating and promoting its diversity.  

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