Home > About the Trust > V.R.Devika – A brief profile
• Managing Trustee - The 'ASEEMA' (Without Boundaries) Trust for
arts, education and media www.aseematrust.org
• Researcher, presenter and promoter of folk performing arts of
rural India and their links to education; interested in heritage education
and cultural dissemination.
• A Gandhi devotee giving workshops in Charka spinning, peace education
and communication skills for students and teachers. Done M.A. in Gandhian
Thought. Currently registered for PHd on Gandhi and his communication
with the Department of Philosophy, University of Madras.
• Coordinator - Prakriti Foundation for arts and Indology. (www.prakritifoundation.com)
• Consultant to Education Resources Centre, New Delhi.
• Lead South India partner of World Education, an international
NGO based in Boston working on access to education for all.
• Member of the board: International Partnership Network.
• Past Director for Education and Culture, The Madras Craft Foundation
(1985-96) (initiated and executed a highly successful folk performing
arts in education project with 200 schools as a means of building bridges
with rural India for urban children through the arts.). Directed “Aayana”
a production with a 1000 children of various socio economic backgrounds
and physical abilities with different themes and different children in
1992, 94 and 96 with theatre persons and folk performing artists as resource
persons). Continuing as a consultant for MCF and member of advisory council
for its project Dakshinachitra Heritage Center for Education and Culture
Programmes. Was a schoolteacher in Chennai (1974 – 85)
• Freelance art critic and writer contributing to popular newspapers
and magazines since 1979 and cultural organizer. Studied Bharathanatyam
classical dance from The Dhananjayans. Giving regular lectures on the
theory and practice of the dance and culture of India.
• Delegate and presenter at “Text and Context – Indian
Dance” at York University Canada, Covered Rajiv Gandhi’s visit
to the White House and Festival of India in the US for The WEEK magazine,
British Council visitorship to UK to look at Museum outreach programmes
– 1985
• Max Mueller Bhavan cultural multiplicator fellowship to Germany
and visit to France – 1988
• Panelist on “Bharathanatyam yesterday, today and outside
India ” at Momptellier Dance Festival - France and visit to Spain
: 1989 / 90
• British Council’s Charles Wallace Award for Arts in Education-
UK and visit to Netherlands – 1992.
• USIS International Visitor (iv) programme to look at volunteerism
in the US – USA – 1993.
• UNESCO artists across frontier fellowship to look at Mask dance
in Indonesia – and visit to Malaysia - 1995
• Key note speaker “Dance and the Child International (DACI)”
conference Finland : 1997
• Delegate : Conference of International Partnership Network , Norway
– 1998
• Coordinated and directed a tour of children of folk artists’
families from rural South India at the Netherlands World Children’s
festival. The group met the President of India at Rashtrapathi Bhavan
in New Delhi. - 2002
• Delegate – Global Summit of the International Partnership
Network, USA - 2002
• Delegate - Conference of the International Partnership Network’s
partnership Learning Week and auditioned children’s groups of South
Africa for wereldkinderfestival, Did a Gandhi trail – South Africa
2003
• Keynote presenter – Global Educator’s conference and
International Educator’s conference, visits to K-12 schools in Mid
West to talk about India, residencies in Alfred University and Amherst
College MA, Speaker at WorldEd’s board meeting and dinner, Boston
USA. Delegate at the conference of partners in education and the International
partnership Network, London – 2004
• World Ed’s regional meeting - Cambodia, visit to Thailand
– 2005
• UNESCO International Experts’ Steering Committee on arts
in education – Portugal – 2005
• Coordinated and directed a performance of youth theatre group
at the gift of Magi festival at Madrid, Spain – January 2006
• Coordinated and directed a performance of traditional classical
and rural performing arts from south India at the Chicago Natya conference
“Dance India : Choreographic traditions”.- September 2006
• Speaker : World Creativity Summit. Hongkong - July 2007, Taipei
Taiwan, June 2008.
• Received Govt. of India Dept of Culture and Sangeet Natak Academy
grants for folk art research. Woman of Substance and Vocational Excellence
Awards from Rotary Clubs; Woman’s Day Honour from Jaycees; Honorary
Citizenship from the Governor of Maryland - USA; Kala Seva Bharathi Award
from Bharath Kalachar - Chennai for services rendered to and contribution
to folk arts and education; Lifetime Achievement Award from Amir Khusro
Sangeet Academy- Chennai. Best lec dem award from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha
at its Natya kala conference 2006
3, Mangala Murthi, 65, 1st Main Road, Shastri Nagar,
Chennai 600020, INDIA
Ph: + 91- 44 - 24465415 mobile : 9840098495Email : vrdevika@yahoo.co.in
, aseema123@yahoo.com, vrdevika@gmail.com