Who We Are
We are a collective rooted in the transformative potential of art—not as mere representation, but as intervention. For us, art is a site of critical inquiry, resistance, and social reimagination. It reshapes reality, unsettles hierarchies, and opens space for alternative futures.
Our practice engages with communities, educators, and cultural workers to create participatory and emancipatory models of art-making. We work at the intersections of art, pedagogy, and activism, producing performances, research, and community-led interventions that reclaim art as a tool for civic engagement, solidarity, and repair.
Our Beliefs
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Art is agency: not passive reflection but active resistance and transformation.
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Art is participatory: it invites engagement, provokes reflection, and inspires action.
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Art is social action: bridging lived experience with collective imagination.
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Art is pedagogy: a tool for inquiry, empathy, and interdisciplinary learning
Debraj Dutta
Founding member of Shunya, with 20+ years in children’s theatre, DiE, and TIE. Alumnus of Rabindra Bharati University. Former Senior Resource at NSD TIE Company, Azim Premji Foundation, and Shiv Nadar School. Currently Head of Performing Arts at Ramagya School, Noida. Advocates drama as inquiry and empathy.
Artistic Director, Theatre Educator
Kuldeep Patil
Scientific Fellow at documenta (Germany) & Asia Art Archive (India), leading archival research on Culture@WSF 2004. Their work spans queer historiography, cultural critique, and archival inquiry. Published in Takshila Yearbook, The Wire, and MASH India. Investigates how art challenges dominant narratives and recovers overlooked epistemologies.
Independent Artist-Researcher, Writer
Rochan Dayal Mathu
Rochan Dayal Mathur (RDM) is a stage and screen actor, improv comedian, and drama facilitator trained at the Drama School Mumbai. With 200+ improv shows, theatrical productions, and digital content for Indiatimes and MensXP, he blends performance with pedagogy. As Project & Design Manager at Steps Drama, he uses drama to foster empathy and communication in organizations. Rochan’s storytelling bridges creativity and learning, making him a dynamic presence in both artistic and training spaces. Offstage, he enjoys Jagjit Singh’s ghazals, yoga, and EV motorbike rides.
Actor, Improv Comedian, Drama Facilitator
Sufyan Khan
NSD TIE Wing alumnus with background in humanities and library science. Founder of Rangmanch, Artistic Director at AAOMA – The Third Space Foundation. Currently teaches at Ramagya School, Noida, integrating theatre into education. Champions socially engaged theatre, empathy, and creativity.
Theatre Pedagogue, Director, Educator
Dadhichi Patel
A multidisciplinary theatre practitioner engaged in pedagogy, facilitation, and applied drama. Brings experience from working with community-based groups, schools, and independent productions. His practice emphasizes process over product, focusing on collective inquiry, embodied learning, and theatre as a tool for dialogue. Collaborates on Shunya’s education projects, designing workshops that merge improvisation, critical reflection, and artistic play.
Theatre Maker, Educator, Applied Arts Practitioner
Prashasan S. Maltiar
NSD graduate (2006). Specialises in set, lighting, and projection design. Collaborated with M.K. Raina, Kirti Jain, Roysten Abel. Directs participatory theatre across rural and academic spaces in India and internationally (Germany, Italy, Austria, USA). Uses applied drama to foster dialogue, reflection, and social change
Scenic Designer, Theatre Director, Applied Drama Facilitator