Preparations are in full swing for Milap’s INDIKA Festival – one of Europe’s largest celebrations of Indian Arts, coming to Liverpool City Region this Friday. Chiming with Milap’s 40th Birthday this month, the team are pulling out all the stops to make INDIKA 2025 the biggest and best celebration to date – with 15 days of outstanding Indian Arts.
INDIKA showcases the very best of contemporary Indian Arts & Music, presenting a bold and striking programme that celebrates India’s diverse arts and culture.
This year’s programme in particular spotlights Dance and Performing Arts, with incredible performances in Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam from world-acclaimed dancers Sanjukta Sinha and Apoorva Jayaraman – as well as the mesmerising ensemble, Upahaar Dance Company. Each show will also have its own respective workshop, where dancers with 2 or more years experience can learn the technique and fluidity of each dance form after watching it live!
Whether you’re an Indian Arts aficionado or you’re discovering them for the very first time, INDIKA is a multi-sensory festival that offers something for everyone. Over the last 4 decades, Milap has continuously strived to make Indian Arts accessible to all – with the biennial INDIKA Festival playing a pivotal role in breaking down barriers and encouraging people to explore new Indian artforms.
An audience member from last years festival enthused:
“The standard of every Milap event I have ever attended has always been unfailingly world class. I have been performing in and around Liverpool all my life and this organisation is the jewel in the City’s cultural crown beyond any doubt”
Taking centre stage at this year’s festival are the following dance and performing arts events:
Milap + Unity Theatre present
Dancing the Divine
Thursday 23rd October 2025, 7.30pm
Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
https://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/dancing-the-divine-milap-festival/
Conceived and performed by Sanjukta Sinha.
Inspired by the timeless figure of Krishna, Dancing the Divine is a journey through love, longing, and surrender — a personal exploration of devotion, presence, and the unseen.
In this intimate solo, Sanjukta Sinha draws from recent work that reflects a quiet, internal dialogue with the idea of the divine — however one may imagine it. Krishna never appears, yet his essence is felt in every movement and stillness.
Through Kathak, Sanjukta asks: Can love exist without form? Can absence still hold presence? This is not a retelling of myths, but a living inquiry — an experience where the dancer becomes the seeker, the beloved, the question itself. The stage becomes a space to experience something beyond words — whatever that may mean to you.
Milap + Unity Theatre present
The Idea of God
Friday 24th October 2025, 7.30pm
Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
https://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/the-idea-of-god-milap-festival/
A solo Bharatanatyam performance by Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman
Is He the creator, or is He my creation? Does God reside in art, or is art a path to the divine? Do I seek Him, or is She already within me?
The Idea of God is a full-length solo Bharatanatyam performance that traverses Indian thought and literature — from the ancient Vedas and Sangam texts to revolutionary writing of the 21st century.
Through a series of powerful and rarely explored narratives, this evocative performance probes the evolving idea of the divine in Indian philosophy.
Blending classical rigour with contemporary insight, Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman invites audiences to reflect on where the divine truly resides — in form, in feeling, or within the self. This is not simply a recital, but a layered enquiry into the many ways we imagine God.
Milap presents
Kathak Workshop with Sanjukta Sinha
Friday 24th October 2025, 6-9pm
Hope Park Sports Complex, Taggart Avenue, Childwall, L16 9JD
https://milap.co.uk/experience/indika-2025/
A rare opportunity to learn from renowned Kathak artist Sanjukta Sinha.
Open to dancers with at least two years training, any age, this 3-hour workshop offers hands-on guidance in technique, rhythm, and expressive storytelling. Immerse yourself in the intricate footwork, graceful spins, and emotive gestures that make Kathak unique, and gain insight into the rich cultural tradition behind this classical dance form.
A chance to work with an artist of Sanjukta’s calibre in the Northwest of England — don’t miss it!
Milap presents
Bharatanatyam Workshop with Apoorva Jayaraman
Saturday 25th October 2025, 10am-1pm
Hope University Creative Campus, 17 Shaw St, Liverpool, L6 1HP
https://milap.co.uk/2025/08/bharatanatyam-workshop-with-dr-apoorva-jayaraman/
A rare opportunity to learn the art of Bharatanatyam with Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman.
Open to dancers with at least two years training, any age, this 3-hour workshop offers hands-on guidance in technique, rhythm, and expressive storytelling.
Milap + Unity Theatre present
Stories of the Ramayana
Tuesday 28th October 2025, 2pm
Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
https://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/stories-of-the-ramayana-milap-festival/
Performed by Upahaar Dance Company (London) Graceful, expressive, and full of storytelling magic — this vibrant performance brings to life stories from the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the return of light over darkness. Closely tied to the festival of Diwali, the Ramayana explores themes of love, duty, courage, and the power of hope — universal ideas that continue to resonate today.
Performed in the classical South Indian dance style of Mohiniattam, dancers from Upahaar weave together movement, music, and vivid expression in a show perfect for families and curious minds of all ages.
After the show, families are invited to a free, fun, hands-on workshop from 3–3:50pm.
Milap + Unity Theatre present
Mohiniattam Workshop for Dancers
Tuesday 28th October 2025, 4.30-6pm
Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
https://www.acc360.co.uk/unitytheatreliverpool-1602579988-moving-with-grace-a-mohiniattam-workshop-for-dancers.html
Delve deep into the elegant world of Mohiniattam — the classical dance style from Kerala, known for its fluid movement, subtle expression, and lyrical storytelling. Led by Upahaar Dance Company, this workshop is designed for experienced dancers of any background who are curious to explore the technique, gestures, and expressive vocabulary of Mohiniattam.
You’ll be introduced to core movement principles, explore short choreographic sequences, and gain insight into the dance’s connection to narrative and emotion. Suitable for dancers of any background intermediate level and up.
Ahead of the festival launch next Friday, Artistic Director, Alok Nayak said:
“As Milap turns 40, this year’s INDIKA feels especially meaningful, as a celebration of how far we’ve come and a statement of where we’re headed; it’s a reflection of everything we believe Indian arts can be. It is a space for everyone – whether you’ve grown up with these traditions or you’re discovering them for the first time – to feel inspired, moved, and connected. I’m excited that we’re welcoming back some incredible artists loved by audiences over the years, who’ve shaped our story, while also showcasing bold, boundary-pushing work that’s shaping the future of Indian music and dance. For me, INDIKA is where tradition meets imagination – and every performance is designed to leave a lasting impression on you. I hope you’ll join us this October for a festival of experiences that are rich in spirit, depth and meaning!”
