This episode features Sushmita Pati, Artistic Director and CEO of Kala the Arts, who discusses the development, outreach, and operational evolution of the arts and education charity celebrating South Asian culture. Sushmita shares her journey of introducing Odissi classical temple dance to the UK in 1986 and launching Kala the Arts in 1998 to bring diverse dance forms into schools, venues, and regional communities. She emphasises that while storytelling and classical dance captured early local interest, growing the organisation required overcoming artist shortages, managing multi-year production logistics, and cross-cultural bridging to attract performers and students from diverse backgrounds. The conversation explores the practical realities of building cultural engagement through diverse partnerships and fusion. Sushmita explains how Odissi dance has a meditative, yogic quality that enables it to cross cultural boundaries, leading to cross-style collaborations with contemporary dance and belly dancing. She also details the process of operating as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, detailing how Kala the Arts partners with venues, museums, and libraries to help regional entities build, diversify, and engage their audiences through workshops and public events. Finally, the discussion covers Sushmita's broader operational vision, community events, and future growth. She highlights signature initiatives like the outdoor Diwali parade in Reading, explaining the safety logistics and thematic choices that go into running accessible public festivals. She concludes by reflecting on post-COVID audience recovery, the potential for expanding digital outreach, and inviting local businesses and communities to engage with the charity as a vehicle for lifelong learning and creative connection. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Warm-Up Engagement Before the Main Launch To successfully engage new or diverse audiences, businesses shouldn't rely on a single launch or campaign. Instead, run pre-launch workshops, taster sessions, and collaborative touchpoints. Giving potential customers a low-barrier, hands-on experience builds trust, demystifies the offering, and creates an invested, eager audience ahead of major events or product releases. 2. Win New Markets via Strategic Strategic Partnerships Expanding into unfamiliar demographics or new territories becomes significantly easier through cross-promotional partnerships. By co-creating value with established regional hubs (such as venues, local business groups, or community centers), businesses can plug into existing, trusted networks. This mutually expands reach while helping partner organizations diversify their own consumer base. 3. Shift Operational Mindsets from Short-Term Projects to Sustainable Systems Scaling an organization requires shifting from a "hit and run" project mindset to building long-term infrastructure. To grow sustainably, business leaders must secure dedicated, skilled talent, plan timelines well in advance, and establish continuous production pipelines rather than scrambling from one transaction or event to the next. TIME CODES 00:00 Intro to Sushmita 00:59 What is Kala the Arts? 03:04 How and why Kala the Arts got traction and spread 05:09 Why is Odissi able to cross cultural boundaries easily? 07:03 Combining Odissi with other dance forms 08:10 How has Sushmita promote Kala the Arts broadly to get in front of a wider audience? 09:48 What type of big events work well for Kala the Arts 11:02 Challenges Kala the Arts has faced over the years 12:39 What questions do people ask Kala the Arts? 13:26 The benefits and limitations of doing sessions online 14:58 How Sushmita has developed Kala the Arts from a business perspective over the years 16:48 How Sushmita has handled the logistics of Kala the Arts 18:13 What is Sushmita's process for developing partnerships 19:43 How Kala the Arts help organisations to develop more diverse audiences 21:33 Lead times for developing new project relationships 23:28 How Sushmita and Kala the Arts developed the Reading Lights parade 24:34 Lessons from the early days of organising the Reading Lights parade 25:39 Has Kala the Arts developed in the way Sushmita thought it would? 27:03 Sushmita's final thoughts for listeners
