producer & curator

Rajni places great emphasis on the importance of producing and curating as part of her creative practice. By working with and for other individuals, organisations and events, she is able to further her commitment to shifting perspectives, engaging new audiences and inviting others to have a voice. By retaining her status as an independent producer and curator she is able to move quickly, make unexpected connections and maintain a working knowledge of the sector.

Rajni has worked as a producer-curator for the Live Art Development Agency, Alternate ROOTS, the Farnham Maltings (Senior Management fellowship), Arts Council England South East, the Engaged Art Network and Rules and Regs. She is a member of the New Work Network Activators, a group of independent artist-producers from across the UK.

 

Rules and Regs, Farnham Maltings - installation by Katie Etheridge, image by Ian PhillipsRules and Regs, Farnham Maltings - installation by Katie Etheridge, image by Ian Phillips
click image to enlarge		 Somar Boken research project - image by Emily OrleySomar Boken research project - image by Emily Orley
click image to enlarge 		Yara El-Sherbini, pub quiz at An Invitation to Tea - image by Marina DempsterYara El-Sherbini, pub quiz at An Invitation to Tea - image by Marina Dempster
click image to enlarge 		Rules and Regs, Farnham Maltings - performance by Richard Kingdom, image by Kristian WildingRules and Regs, Farnham Maltings - performance by Richard Kingdom, image by Kristian Wilding
click image to enlarge

 

  • Online residency for Engaged Art Network
    (2008)

    A simple online residency program allowing artists and activists from different parts of the world to share experiences and conversations in a little more depth.

  • Restock, Rethink, Reflect
    (2008)

    The Restock, Rethink, Reflect programme includes a series of artistic and professional development initiatives for artists whose practices explore and question notions of cultural identity, and who are working, or interested in working, in Live Art and related performance based practices.

  • What's Missing: eating, talking, sharing challenge
    (2007)

    Rajni led this workshop as part of the DIY4 season of artist-led workshops run by the Live Art Development Agency, Artsadmin and New Work Network. She worked with artists Sheila Ghelani, Sally Marie and Kira O'Reilly.

  • An Invitation to Tea
    (2006)

    An Invitation to Tea took place on January 20th 2006 at the Farnham Maltings in Surrey and offered delegates from across the South East region an opportunity to share experiences of cultural diversity with other artists, arts managers, producers and policy makers from the region. The conference was produced and curated by Saj Fareed, Tracey Low and Rajni Shah, senior management fellows funded by Arts Council England, South East.

  • Perspectives: Shifting Ground
    (2006)

    Co-curated by Rajni Shah, Carolyn Roy, Rachel Gomme, Angela Woodhouse and Rainer Knupp (Artist Associates), Perspectives: Shifting Ground was a full day and evening of performance, installation and debate at Chisenhale Dance Space examining and questioning the border between dance and live art.

  • Field: A proper afternoon
    (2005)

    Field is a live art project which looks at space and spaces. Rajni co-curated this event at Chisenhale Dance Space with Matt Davis in 2005, involving artists Britt Hatzius, Davina Silver, Ollie Bown, Rajni Shah, Silvia Mercuriali and Matt Davis.

  • Rules and Regs: Farnham
    (2005)

    Rajni Shah produced Rules and Regs at the Farnham Maltings in the Autumn of 2005. Artists spent a month working in and around Farnham, responding to a set of rules to create a series of new performances. Final performances took place within and around the Farnham Maltings and Farnham town.

  • Sommar Boken
    (2005)

    Rajni worked with fellow artists Emily Orley and Katja Hilevaara over six months to create a a proposal for a touring theatre production inspired by Tove Jansson’s Sommar Boken (Summerbook).

  • the body as culturally diverse artefact
    (2004)

    A workshop examining the use, abuse and misuse of the ethnic body in art and in society led by Rajni as part of the Chisenhale Dance Space Artists' Programme in April 2004, with Sam Lim, Persis Jade Maravala, and Colin Poole.

  • Still, It Matters
    (2004)

    Rajni was invited by Hoxton Hall to curate an evening of performance elaborating on some of the ideas in her own piece, The Awkward Position. She invited dance artist Nikki Tomlinson and theatre company Rotozaza to create site-specific versions of their work, questioning the role of the audience as they moved around and encouraging new readings of each work in light of its relationship with the others.

  • Translations

    Translations was a series of community events for artists creating original and innovative work to show new and in-progress pieces and receive feedback. The aim of the event was to bring the arts community together so that inter-disciplinary collaborations might begin. Filmmakers, photographers, performance artists, dancers, writers and musicians were all invited to be present in a supportive and inspiring environment. Events took place in Atlanta, GA (US) and in Farnham (UK).