How do performing arts convey the idea of peace?
This online symposium invites scholars, artists, and practitioners to explore the notion of peace as it emerges through the aesthetic languages of performance. We will delve into this theme by examining the dynamic relationship—be it one of tension or harmony—between the rasa Shringara (love, beauty, desire) and Shanta (peace, serenity) within the framework of Indian performing traditions.
These two rasas, often perceived as emotionally distinct or even opposing, open up a rich space for reflection: Can love lead to peace? Does desire disturb serenity—or fulfill it? How do classical and contemporary performance practices negotiate these emotional states through movement, voice, rhythm, and gesture?
In our session, we welcome contributions from artistes, performers and academicians who:
Explore innovative ways the arts foster peace and harmony across diverse communities,
Bridge the gap between artistic practice, academic research, and peace activism,
Demonstrate the power of cultural expression to evoke empathy and social change.
Format of the session: ONLINE (Zoom and Facebook Live)
Date: June 1, 2025
Time: 5 PM CET
Event curators: Dr. Karine Leblanch and Pratiti Ghosh
REGISTRATION: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdb1YZPkwwCMSygfMTi1ZZRpLH06_lCsz21ABjWA_0oZ7uHSA/viewform?usp=header
Speakers and Performers:
Chaiti Ghoshal
Chaiti Ghoshal is an internationally recognised actress renowned for her impactful contributions to Bengali cinema, television, and theatre. Born into a prominent Bengali family in West Bengal, she is the daughter of the celebrated Bengali actor Shyamal Ghoshal. A graduate of Gokhale Memorial Girls’ College, Chaiti began her acting journey in theatre before being discovered by acclaimed filmmaker Aparna Sen for her role in the critically lauded film Paroma (1984), which featured Rakhee Gulzar.
Chaiti’s extensive film career includes notable roles in films such as Tomar Rakte Aamaar Sohaag (1993), Atmiyoswajan (1999), Abar Aranyo (2003) alongside legends like Sharmila Tagore, Soumitra Chatterjee, and Tabu, Prohor (2004), Amu (2005) with Konkona Sen Sharma, Chittagong (2012) alongside Manoj Bajpai, Na Hannayte (2012), and Biye Notout (2013) featuring Rituparna Sengupta and Tota Roy Choudhary. She also starred in the unreleased film Ek Je Aachhe Shahor (2014).
Apart from her film career, Chaiti has made her mark in Bengali television, with roles in widely recognised serials such as Ek Akasher Neeche, Protibimbo, Antarale, and the recent Tomay Amay Mile on Star Jalsa. Chaiti’s theatre work is also exceptional, particularly her portrayal of Nandini in Gautam Halder’s stage production of Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi since 2010, a performance that earned her the Best Actress award at the Zee Banglar Gaurav Samman.
Chaiti is deeply involved in the current theatre scene of Bengal and India. Not only is she tutoring young and promising talents, but she is also actively contributing to the stage and screen by directing and producing compelling, thought-provoking works. Her creative leadership in both theatre and film continues to shape the cultural landscape.
Chaiti took a significant personal and professional turn after the birth of her son in 1995, choosing to leave her burgeoning career in Mumbai and settle in Kolkata. Her return to the theatre marked a new phase in her career. She has also expanded her talents into documentary television, hosting The Warrior Prince, a documentary on Indian cricket legend Sourav Ganguly. Furthermore, Chaiti appeared in Gautam Halder’s film Mukti.
Chaiti is married to director Ranajit Ray, who cast her in the popular show Chena Athena, where the two first met. With her multifaceted career in film, television, theatre, and documentaries, Chaiti has earned her place as a respected and celebrated figure in the entertainment industry, not only in India but also on the international stage.
Lokeshwari Dasgupta
Daughter and student of Surangama Dasgupta, completed Prabhakar (Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad) in both Kathak (North Indian Classical Dance) and Rabindranritya (Tagore Dance). Completed Visharad (Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith, Lucknow) in Kathak. Completed the Nrityaprabha course from Bengal Music College. She has performed extensively in India and abroad. She performed and held workshops in Europe.
Organised and choreographed numerous programmes in India for various institutions. Completed Graduation and post-graduation in History from Jadavpur University and completed M.Phil in Women Studies from Jadavpur University. Her dissertation is titled, Re-Telling Kathak: a Journey through Court, Celluloid and the Contemporary Stage. Presented papers at international conferences in India and Germany.
Was appointed by ICCR as Kathak Teacher cum Performer at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Indian Embassy in Beijing (2016-2020). Presently, conducting online classes and involved in creating ScreenDanse projects with her brother, Suramya Pushan Dasgupta and pursuing a Master's in Migration Studies at Université Côté d'Azur in Nice, France.
Professor Edward Dimsdale
After studying Social Sciences at the University of Bristol, Ed assisted photographers and worked in darkrooms as a photographic printer. Striking out as a freelance photographer in the early 1990s, he worked in London, Paris and New York. While studying MA Printmaking at the Cambridge School of Art, he explored contemporary applications for the historical method of photogravure.
Represented by HackelBury Fine Art (London) since 1998, he has exhibited his photography widely, and his work is held in public and private collections. Exhibitions include Agulhas at HackelBury; Picturing Eden, a five-year touring museum show curated by Deborah Klochko for the George Eastman House, Rochester, NY; and Model Love (Arnolfini, Bristol; BAC, London), an intermedial collaboration with experimental theatre company, Bodies in Flight. A photographic publication, Stilled, was published by Stanley Barker in 2017.
As a writer on photography and culture, Ed has contributed to numerous publications, including Hotshoe, an international photography journal. He has also contributed introductory essays for several photographic monographs, including Ian Macdonald’s Eton (2007) and Lam Pok Yin and Chong Ng’s The Untimely Apparatus of Two Amateur Photographers (2019). An essay for Kim Thue’s second book, Lode (2022), is forthcoming. His academic writing includes the joint paper Unsettling Materialities: The Indexical Relationship of Photography and Theatre in Bodies in Flight’s Model Love (2017), for the Journal of Photography and Culture, a collaboration with Professor Simon Jones of Bristol University.
Before joining CSVPA, Ed taught at the Cambridge School of Art (BA/MA Fine Art), where he was co-ordinator of Critical and Contextual Studies, and winner of the 2019 Faculty Excellent Teacher Award. Previously, he had spent ten years at the London College of Communication (UAL), where he held a Senior Lecturer in Photography Theory post, teaching across BA and MA Photography. He has also lectured at the University of Coventry, the Bartlett School of Architecture and the Slade School of Art. He has worked as an External Examiner and is a member of the CHEAD (Council for Higher Education in Art & Design) Research Strategy Alliance.
At CSVPA, where he is now a Professor of Art & Contemporary Visual Culture, Ed oversees the Graduate School courses, bringing interdisciplinary perspectives to bear across the programmes, and seeking to implement imaginative pedagogic approaches for art & design education. He contributes to the fostering of a distinctive research culture at CSVPA and explores options for innovative creative enterprise. He also contributes to the nurturing of inter-institutional relationships, such as with Cambridge University, through the CSVPA Arts Lab initiative.