Tara was founded in 1977 by a group of young Wandsworth residents, the company’s first Artistic Director, Jatinder Verma, along with Sunil Saggar, Ovais Kadri, Praveen Bahl and Vijay Shaunak. It was launched as a direct response to the racist murder of 17-year-old Gurdip Singh Chaggar.

Over four decades, Tara has nurtured and supported Asian performers, writers, directors, musicians and choreographers. It has taken its message around the UK and abroad, including tours to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada, Egypt, Spain and Italy.

In its early years, Tara embraced politics and activism, promoting social change and making imaginative connections across cultures through theatre. In the wake of recent events, this radical discourse is needed more than ever, so we will be returning unapologetically to our DNA. To this day, we are the only theatre focusing exclusively on South Asian artists and stories.