ArtistStoryteller / DastangoStorytelling & educationBengaluru, South India, India

Geeta Ramanujam

A pioneering storyteller and educator, founder of Kathalaya, who has built storytelling into a global educational movement and trained thousands in the art.
Major Mid (200-500)Large (500-1500) Active since 1990

About

Geeta Ramanujam is a pioneering Indian storyteller and educator, founder of Kathalaya, the celebrated storytelling institution and academy based in Bengaluru. She has been central to establishing storytelling as an educational and cultural movement in India and internationally, training thousands of storytellers and teachers.

A former teacher, Geeta Ramanujam turned to storytelling and founded Kathalaya to promote the art in education, later establishing the Academy for Storytelling. An Ashoka Fellow recognised for social innovation, she has trained storytellers and teachers across India and abroad, taken storytelling into schools and communities, and become one of the most influential figures in the contemporary Indian storytelling movement.

The artistry

Ramanujam blends the warmth of folk and world tales with a deep belief in storytelling as a tool for learning and human connection, drawing audiences of children and adults alike into her narratives. Beyond performance, her lasting art lies in pedagogy, developing storytelling curricula and academies that carry the form forward.

⬩ Atlas Perspective

[Atlas Perspective] Geeta Ramanujam is a pioneering storyteller and educator whose institutional legacy is significant. For festivals, education programmes and heritage initiatives, she is a strong, distinctive choice.

Geeta Ramanujam has been central to reviving and institutionalising storytelling in India, building Kathalaya and the storytelling-in-education movement and training a generation of storytellers and teachers across the country and beyond.

Performance

SoloFestivalWorkshopSpoken word

Publications & productions

Kathalaya
The storytelling institution she founded
Recording
Academy for Storytelling
Storytelling training and curricula
Recording

Career & milestones

Founded Kathalaya
Ashoka Fellow
Recognised for social innovation in storytelling
Trained thousands of storytellers and teachers

Festivals & appearances

Storytelling festivals and educational programmes across India and abroad
Performer / trainer

Recognition

An Ashoka Fellow and pioneer of storytelling in education

Affiliations

Kathalaya
Founder
Institution

Connections

Based in
Practises
Connected Discoveries

Connected Discoveries

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