About Us

BACKGROUND

Caste Away Arts are an innovative theatre company tackling taboo issues. They are the artistic wing of the charity CasteWatchUK and have fast made a name for themselves. Their mission is to eliminate discrimination and promote equality through theatre and arts with particular focus on communities “cast away” from society.

Caste Away Arts is co-found by Rena Dipti Annobil and Reena Jaisiah. In 2004 the pair’s paths crossed when joining the charity CasteWatchUK, a charity, who aim to eliminate caste discrimination in the UK. The two Re(e)na’s were passionate about humanitarian advocacy and utilised their creative skills to write a play about caste discrimination based on true life experiences of people that they met throughout their  research journey. In early 2006 they wrote a play, The Fifth Cup and produced it with the support of Caste Watch UK and Arts Council. It all started with tackling Caste and thus how they got their name – Caste Away Arts.

After working themselves to the bone, their hard work paid off when their debut The Fifth Cup sold out at The Drum theatre in Birmingham in December 2007. The following year in 2008 Caste Away Arts took the Fifth cup on a UK tour. Since then they have fronted many projects in the Midlands and the South of England. Caste Away Arts remain passionate about using theatre to break down barriers, eliminate discrimination and promote equality. They are committed to producing high quality entertainment with a strong social message and work in the local community with real people.

Caste Away Arts are forever growing and are committed to raising awareness of CasteWatchUk’s campaign for equality through the arts. They are supported by CasteWatchUK in all their endeavours.

THE TEAM

Rena Dipti Annobil – Artistic Director

Rena Dipti Annobilis one of Caste Away Arts’ Co-Founders and Artistic Directors. She co-wrote, co-directed The Fifth Cup with Reena Jaisiah and also took on an acting role in the play. Rena graduated from Aston University in 2001 with BSc (Hons) in Managerial and Administrative Studies. Whilst at university Rena trained in Indian Classical and Contemporary Dance, focusing on the ancient dance form Bharata Natyam, and performed at various theatres around the Midlands as part of the Coventry based Mrittika Arts Dance Company.

Rena has worked in broadcasting for six years; her experience includes producing live radio programmes and features at the BBC, producing and presenting her own TV show, and narrating BBC Radio 7′s Sony Award winning interactive story, The Chain Gang, in 2007.

Passionate about poetry, music, dance and drama, Rena has carried out several performance workshops for children and teenagers over the last few years. These days Rena juggles motherhood with her career at the BBC, carrying out workshops, and writing ground breaking new material for Caste Away Arts.

Reena Jaisiah (FRSA) - Artistic Director

Reena Jaisiah

Reena’s life journey resembles that of the Hare and the Tortoise tale. She was a bit of a late bloomer and having Dyslexia was alienating growing up but this purported ‘disability’ is one of the forces that fuel Reena’s tenacity today as well as her fertile of imagination. She is inquisitiveness and studied Social Sciences and was thrown into an arts placement where she which cultured an array of skills. Reena discovered her ability to connect with young people whom left a lasting impression on her. It didn’t take Reena too long to break boxes and rip labels off social debates such as Mental Health and Islamophobia.  Reena candidly confronted Caste Discrimination as part of her MA and joined Caste Watch UK. Rather than publish verbosity, she used her creativity to build bridges and reach real people.  Reena met Rena Dipti Annobil and duo built a dynamic work ethos which birthed Caste Away Art- the artistic wing of Caste Watch UK. Together they produced the sell-out play The Fifth Cup. Caste Away Arts’ endeavours were recognised in the Pride of Coventry and Warwickshire Community Projects awards in 2008 after the national tour success of The Fifth Cup play which Reena produced co-wrote and directed. Through theatre Reena unearths a voice for those oppressed and this inspired her to train at Theatre School. Acting is another wall she’s pushed!  Reena has been commissioned to design projects to tackle sticky stigma around Autism (Not literally) and also wrote and directed a short advert to encourage the BME community to access counselling services.  In 2009 The Royal Society of Arts recognised Reena’s efforts and nominated her for a fellowship for her ‘contribution to the Arts, her endeavours to encourage positive social relations and eliminate racial discrimination, and following her participation in Prison Link and her work to support individuals with Autism.’

Reena has a wealth of experience as an enterprising Business Women and a Life Long Learning Teacher whom currently works with young people – a species that truly make her buzz! Reena taught drama in Shakespeare’s home town and visited countless schools and youth centres.  She made time to travel to Sri Lanka to visit and deliver arts workshops to the War affected communities and has extended this work in the UK with a Creative integration programme -Release UK for immigrant communities living in the UK. Reena has fronted countless projects including a commission by Sandwell Leisure Trust. She is a regular fixture at Coventry Godiva festival with storytelling and is the Creative director of Women on TOP, a poignant collaborative project with Kairos working with Marginalised women. During International women’s week 2011 Reena was nominated by Oxfam as one of the Midlands 100th most inspirational Women for her personal and community accomplishments. In 2012 The Women on Top cast received a Women’s Achievement award by Reena for their dedication and success of WOT MONOLOGUES performed at Warwick University on Internationals Women’s day- Took real ovaries to do this!

In Reena’s scarce spare time she enjoys Martial Arts and Dance and is an avid Painter and Poet eminent for her shambolic hand writing. It’s no surprise her poem Alchemy from Scribbles was selected for publication for Rasp’s anthology and her writing contributions include a report for the BBC and poetry features for magazines and books. Reena is saturated with inspiration for Caste Away Arts and is working on wonders to come to fruition and a secret… Shhhh!