Katradi - an Initiative of the Wind Dancers Trust

Katradi, an initiative of Wind Dancers Trust, uses a variety of strategies drawn from art and sport to create empathy based social transformation. We Read morehave worked on projects across 30 countries and 5 continents with a range of communities including underprivileged youth, people with disabilities, street children, sex workers, victims of religious/ethnic violence, refugees, and others. Our programs on taboo and toxic issues of gender, sexual abuse, menstruation, religious/caste conflict, and more are highly successful in using art and sport as powerful tools to effect transformation. The foundation of this initiative is the Katradi method of Empathy Based Social Transformation, created by Sangeeta Isvaran using over 20 years of experience in marginalized communities across 40+ countries, distilling unique strategies of communication embedded in the traditional performing arts of India. (See https://www.katradi.org/Method.html; Ted talks - https://youtu.be/wr4iBABzwcg; https://youtu.be/lCmyOGssh3c ). This method has been taught in workshops, seminars and universities in more than 15 countries and applied in refugee camps, shelter homes, schools, colleges, initiatives to build gender equality, reproductive health, child safety and more. Our unique, high-energy training programs not only impart information but also inspire participants to become agents of transformation. We train facilitators to open dialogues on difficult subjects with a unique combination of verbal/non-verbal communication skills, empathetic listening and non-judgemental conflict resolution strategies across five levels of interaction - physical, emotional, sensory, intellectual and intuitive. We tap into various forms such as dance, sport, theater, circus and visual arts to create exciting programs in the domains of gender, empowerment, education, health, environment and conflict resolution. We create innovative, out-of-the-box strategies to deal with social issues and help communities see their fears and biases in an inclusive and non-judgemental space and make positive decisions for their future.  Since our inception in 2014, we have reached over 1,000,000 people via workshops, teacher trainings, curriculum design, and performances. We have created seminal programs like Bridging the Gaps Youth Camps, Lorry Lolakku (social justice and awareness through mobile performances), Volunteer for India with the US Consulate Grants and more. www.katradi.org

Katradi aims to create powerful spaces of transformation by infusing empathy into every aspect of their work, striving to jolt people out of their comfort zones and search within for biases that create fear and separation.

The founder, Sangeeta Isvaran, has been honored with the highest national award for young dancers – the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, and is a Fellow of the International Institute of Conciliation, USA.