Aanka Batta

Aanka (she/her) is a migrant origin performance poet, consultant and educator. Her academic background is in critical theory and discourse analysis and she uses this to work within the arts and for the betterment of BIPoC diasporas.

As a performance poet, Aanka speaks on migration, race, feminism of colour, sexuality and bilinguality. She performs at festivals, conferences, demonstrations, events and launches. This year she has performed at venues like The Lighthouse, MAST Mayflower theatres and The Corn Exchange. She has performed and curated at festivals like The Secret Garden Party, Buddhafield, Purbeck Valley Folk Festival amongst others, and at conferences such as Prejudice Free Dorset.

As a consultant, Aanka works with organisations and services towards equality, diversity and inclusion goals. She has been helping The Dorset and Wiltshire Fire service, for instance, on these matters.

As a published educator, Aanka has lectured at University of Essex and Bournemouth University full time in the past and continues to engage as guest lecturer, guest performer and discussions around decolonisation, attitudes towards ethnic cultures and broader global power dynamics.