Aanka is a South Asian born performance poet, educator, consultant and activist residing in the United Kingdom. Her overall vision bring awareness to issues around race and racial politics, with the hope to contribute towards genuine multiculturalism. 

 

As an emerging voice in the performance poetry scene, Aanka has performed nationally across theatre venues, poetry events, festivals, conferences and demonstrations. Some of the venues Aanka has covered are: Mayflower theatres (Southampton), The Lighthouse Poole (Poole), The Corn Exchange (Dorchester) and Mosley Baths (Birmingham) amongst others. Aanka has performed at various festivals like Buddhafield, The Sectret Garden Party, Purbeck Valley Folk Festival and Love Jam. Aanka’s poetry draws attention to issues around race, migration and feminism of colour.

 

In her role as educator, Aanka has a PhD in critical management studies (completed 2013) and has lectured full time at Essex Business School, University of Essex (2013 to 2017) and Faculty of Media and Communication, Bournemouth University (2017 to 2020). She draws on her academic background to now facilitate conversations around the juxtaposition of emotions and geo-politics, migration psychology, the intersection of race and gender and other critical perspectives on the role of race  and gender in wider politico-social life. Aanka is now doing guest lectures, often brining performance and lecturing together. She also takes on supervisory roles to assist with dissertations. 

 

As an Equality and Diversity consultant, Aanka offers assistance to local services, festivals and the wider cultural sector, environmental organisations and others in addressing internal issues around race and race politics. Aanka also offers networking support between various parties such as art institutions, museums, artists, activists, environmental organisations, academics, local services and others.