Darpana Information

Founded in 1949 by Mrinalini Sarabhai and Vikram Sarabhai, Darpana Academy of Performing Arts is one of India’s pioneering cultural institutions. Based in Ahmedabad, Darpana works across dance, theatre, puppetry, music, film, video and interdisciplinary media, exploring the arts as a powerful tool for dialogue, education and social transformation. Led by dancer and activist Mallika Sarabhai with Yadavan Chandran as Artistic Director, Darpana has developed a body of work that engages deeply with questions of democracy, gender, environment and justice. The campus includes studios, cafés and the open-air amphitheatre Natarani Amphitheatre, which has, for over three decades, been a space for performance, dialogue and cultural exchange. Darpana continues to evolve as a space where art meets society — and does not look away.