Mandala South Asian Performing Arts jobs and careers

About Mandala South Asian Performing Arts

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts is a Chicago-based arts organization dedicated to presenting, producing, and supporting contemporary and classical performance from the cultures of the Indian subcontinent and its global diaspora. Led by Artistic Director Pranita Nayar, the organization creates platforms for artists through performances, commissions, festivals, residencies, and educational initiatives that connect local communities with international artists and ideas. Currently, Mandala offers a corporate arts workshop developed in collaboration with Professor Mohan Sawhney that uses artistic practice to foster creativity, leadership, and collaborative thinking in professional settings. Mandala’s programming spans large-scale productions, interdisciplinary collaborations, artist residencies, and curated festivals. The organization has presented and developed original works at leading Chicago institutions including the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, the Harris Theater, Studebaker Theater, Links Hall, and the Auditorium Theatre. Notable productions include Kamayani: Between the Heart and the Mind, Dancing Krishna, Unwinding: A New Body Bhavam for Bharatanatyam, Masks & Myths, and With Rumi. Mandala also supports artistic exchange through curated presentations of international artists and collaborative projects with dancers, musicians, and theater makers across the United States and South Asia. Its Mandala Makers Festival, presented citywide in Chicago and at Northeastern Illinois University, highlights emerging and established artists working across diasporic South Asian performance traditions. Through performances, workshops, and partnerships with universities, museums, and cultural organizations, Mandala expands access to South Asian performing arts while fostering dialogue between artists, scholars, and diverse audiences.