ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project has been long in gestation and was originally commissioned by Jatinder Verma and Jonathan Kennedy at Tara Arts.

My original research trip was supported by a British Council / ACE Artist’s International Development Fund Grant, and a travel research grant from the Royal Society of Literature.

On my original 2016 trip, I am particularly grateful for the help of Niazul Topu, Provonjon, and MCC for facilitating an astonishing journey to the heart of the indigo story, and for Care and Living Blue for hosting our trip to Rangpur.

Thanks to Lisa Asma Aktar and Shahedur Rahman for all their support in developing theatre projects in Bangladesh. 

An early R&D in Dhaka was developed with Sudip Chakroborthy and his Theatre X company, and I am particularly grateful for all his skill in organising and directing this original workshop, and thank you also to all the actors who took part.

Thank you to Jenny Balfour-Paul for connecting me to the Indigo world, and for so many inspiring conversations. 

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A first draft of the play had a workshop at the National Theatre Studio in 2017, and I am grateful to all who were involved in that week.

The second research phase took place in 2019, and was funded by awards from the UEA Creative Writing Research Group and HUM Faculty. A 3-day workshop on a draft of the script was hosted by Jatrik, and I am hugely grateful to all at Jatrik for making this possible – particularly Naila Azad and Sadaf Siddiqi. Lipon Rahman directed a wonderful workshop, and Bappy Ameen coordinated and stage-managed. Thanks to the fantastic actors who participated at this stage.

Following the Jatrik workshop, we then successfully applied for a grant from UEA’s QR GCRF Rapid Response Fund, and I am particularly grateful to Ane, Megan, Lisa and Hannah Chroston at RIN for introducing me to the brave new world of academic funding, and for their hard work, clarity and rigour in developing both this application and also the (successful) second GCRF grant that followed. Huge thanks, of course, to GCRF and UKRI, and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all at UEA (particularly HUM Research and LDC) for supporting this project. 

During this phase, Leesa Gazi has come on board, and her brilliance, patience, sensitivity and resourcefulness has made this project possible. Thank you also to all at Komola. Thank you to Jatinder Verma for his extraordinary vision, patience, energy, time and commitment.

Thanks for Jonathan Kennedy and all at British Council India for supporting the Indigo Giant film!

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Thank you to Tim Butchard and the trustees of Charles Wallace Trust Bangladesh. Thank you to British Council London, and British Council Bangladesh. 

Thank you to my parents for believing in this project and coming along with me.

And of course to Selene, Gladdy, and Inni for putting up with all this. 

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Thank you to my agent, Dan Usztan

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Finally, thank you to the Co-Is, Professor Jahangir and Professor Ahmed for their inspiring work, and to Murtaza Jahangir and Living Blue.