Shakti Caravan 2.45

Shakti Caravan is the umbrella partnership between two organizations in different countries, with aligning missions.

The Vanaver Caravan (TVC) is an internationally acclaimed nonprofit dance and music troupe based out of New Paltz, New York. We envision a world where people understand and respect one another – where our differences unite rather than divide us. Recognizing that the arts often communicate what words fail to express, the mission of The Vanaver Caravan is to inspire, through dance and music, the harmonious co-existence of world cultures and traditions, and to promote peace and celebrate our humanity.

Founded in 1972 by Bill and Livia Vanaver, The Vanaver Caravan has had a long, successful history of professional touring, humanitarian and human rights work, peace advocacy, and widely celebrated arts-in-education programs. Working alongside organizations such as the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, Sloop Clearwater, and Auroville, our high-spirited, down-home performances and workshops have brought light and joy to diverse audiences across the globe.

Shakti Academy of Performing Arts and Healing is the product of a small NGO called Big Medicine Charitable Trust, based in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Our work is democratic, ecological, and centers around human rights. We develop communities committed to leading the world towards peace and nonviolence. We work with local artists and activists to create a continuous stream of festivals and education programs in Udaipur, which aim to inspire change and collaboration between Udaipur, locals and international artists with whom we partner.

Our mission is to build upon the best of Udaipur's cultural legacies in collaboration with local/global visionaries to create a 21st century model for sustainable heritage cities. With the development of the Shakti Academy of Performing Arts and Healing, we aim to put our mission to practical use: Shakti Academy will be an international hub for creative thinkers, activists, and virtuoso artists to come together and share their traditions. The academy will be a space in Udaipur where class, gender, and economic means become irrelevant and the arts are a primary avenue for growth and social change.

Together, we have created the Shakti Caravan. Our programs which work towards our combined mission to create change through the arts.

Our Philosophy:
We have witnessed firsthand the powerful way that the arts, in all its many forms (dance, music, painting, drawing, sculpture, martial arts, meditation, yoga, body-work, theater, writing, playing, crafting, etc), brings people together. Each of our projects are fueled by the understanding that, when people have the opportunity to work with their passions, they become more receptive to learning and growing. When this happens, opportunities for social change and growth begin to unfold, communities are created, differences are celebrated, and people we work with begin to actively participate in, well, being the change they want to see in the world.