Tara Arts

History of Tara

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.

Tara Theatre

Award-winning Tara Theatre is an architectural jewel opened by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in 2016.

Combining state-of-the-art technical facilities with beautiful design, Tara Theatre is a stylish, adaptable and affordable location for performances, rehearsals, broadcasts, location shoots, weddings, private parties, meetings, conferences and corporate entertaining. Our charming outdoor patio gives you full flexibility and offers a relaxing open-air space for your guests to enjoy.

Located 10 minutes by train from Waterloo (with just a 30 second transfer time from Earlsfield mainline train station to our door), we are fully accessible and environmentally responsible, being A++ energy rated thanks to the solar panels on our sedum roofs.

Our previous clients have included the BBC, Association of British Theatre Technicians, Spektrix, Rogue Opera, King’s College and Royal Opera House; as well as a range of leading theatre companies, music and comedy promoters.