Photo by - The Key Photography
Theiyā in the Community
Theiyā in the Community is our strand for community-based South Asian arts, delivered in partnership with organisations across Scotland. We work in settings where arts access is shaped by health, care responsibilities, disability, time, money, or mobility—bringing culturally rooted movement practices into spaces where diverse arts may not usually reach.
Our sessions are consent-based, adaptable, and wellbeing-led. We plan for access from the start, offer multiple ways to take part (seated/standing, low/high energy, verbal/visual), and make space for people to opt in and out without pressure. We aim to hold tradition with integrity while adapting delivery so participants are met with dignity, clarity, and care.
Ongoing projects
The Eric Liddell carers programme
Movement and wellbeing sessions as part of the carers programme, centred on connection, restoration, and accessible participation.
Partner page →The Eric Liddell Community
Dance for Parkinson’s
A supported dance programme offered in partnership with Dansebase, for people living with Parkinson’s, developed with attention to access, pacing, and choice—held as a creative, embodied practice rather than “exercise.”
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity partnership
Dance and yoga sessions delivered within the children’s hospital context, shaped around consent, options, and gentle, adaptable engagement.
Learn more → Edinburgh Childrens Hospital Charity
Step Out
Our ‘Step Out’ community dance group is open to everyone and tailored to the needs of those attending. All ages, stages, and abilities welcome!
‘Step Out’ is an inclusive dance programme created for children who love to dance but may have faced barriers when accessing mainstream classes.
The Vertigo Project
Movement sessions developed alongside The Vertigo Project, working with people who experience balance issues and vertigo. This includes community engagement sessions and an upcoming strand of arts-led research to build a practice-based pedagogical framework shaped by lived experience and community learning.
Yoga for Parkinson’s
A yoga offer shaped for people living with Parkinson’s, with access-aware pacing, options, and a focus on regulation and wellbeing.
Photo by - The Key Photography
Regular wellbeing sessions
Weekly Meditation and Yoga sessions offered as part of Theiyā’s community programme.
THEIYĀ ARTS DANCE COLLECTIVE
IN THE COMMUNITY
We take South Asian arts into community spaces and venues where diverse arts may not usually reach. Community-based performances are offered at a subsidised/expenses-only rate, as part of our outreach remit and commitment to widening access.
This strand supports:
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local audiences to encounter South Asian arts in familiar spaces
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culturally rooted performance contexts beyond traditional theatre settings
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partnership-led programming that responds to community needs and realities
Photo by - The Key Photography
What our community programme is based on
Our community programme is grounded in:
Accessibility and inclusion by design (not as an afterthought)
Consent-based delivery, with clear non-touch options and opt-outs
Reflective and critical pedagogy that honours tradition and names power
Care as leadership (preparation, debriefs, access liaison, safeguarding practice)
Lightweight evaluation for learning, so delivery evolves with participant feedback
CPD and training for practitioners
We offer CPD for South Asian arts practitioners who want to develop their practice in community settings (including care contexts, hospitals, carers’ programmes, ASN settings, and mixed-ability groups).
Our approach is supported and practice-based, with:
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structured training in access, safeguarding, and session design
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paid shadowing and mentoring pathways
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supported routes into delivery (observe → co-lead → lead with observation)
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guidance for adapting South Asian arts vocabularies ethically and accessibly
‘Anyone interested in trying any of Theiya Arts activities can find a welcoming space for personal exploration free from judgment or expectations’
Community Engagement Participant, March 2021