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Theiya Arts Community Programme - Eric Liddell

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. 

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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. 

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Ongoing projects

Regular wellbeing sessions

Weekly Meditation and Yoga sessions offered as part of Theiyā’s community programme.

THEIYĀ ARTS DANCE COLLECTIVE 
IN THE COMMUNITY 
 

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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: 

  • local audiences to encounter South Asian arts in familiar spaces 

  • culturally rooted performance contexts beyond traditional theatre settings 

  • partnership-led programming that responds to community needs and realities 

Theiya Arts Community Performances

What our community programme is based on

Our community programme is grounded in:
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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). 

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Our approach is supported and practice-based, with: 

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  • structured training in access, safeguarding, and session design 

  • paid shadowing and mentoring pathways 

  • supported routes into delivery (observe → co-lead → lead with observation) 

  • guidance for adapting South Asian arts vocabularies ethically and accessibly 

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theiyaarts_studentshow Eric Lidell
‘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

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