Born in India and based in Australia, Jay is an internationally acclaimed performer, writer, and director; and is currently the Artistic Director of Encounter. Jay migrated to Australia in 2009 and is a graduate of the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris.
He recently featured in: Mahabharata Why Not Theatre & Barbican Centre, Sunset development, Footscray Community Arts; Beneath the Music, Belvoir St Theatre/Co-Curious; Counting and Cracking, Belvoir St., Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival; Heroes Prélude, Cent Quatre Paris, Inua Ellam’s The Midnight Run (walking arts/cultural journey), Perth Festival. He wrote and directed: The Tides of Longing, Western Australian Symphony Orchestra; Children of the Sea, Encounter / Perth Festival; The Midnight March, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts; MAA, St George’s Dance & Theatre, Biryani, Perth Winter Arts Festival.
Jay’s artistic practice is committed to community empowerment using participatory theatre-making processes through the community arts and cultural development (CACD) space to facilitate expression for communities to tell their stories. Through engagement with moral dilemmas around race, identity, gender, sexuality, and social exclusion, Jay’s work focuses on creating safe spaces for communities, especially young people from migrant, refugee and queer communities to speak their truth and amplify their voices..