The Abhina Foundation: How did this come to be?

What did you dream of becoming when you grew up? I bet it wasn't the founder and chair of a charity! I know this did not feature on my life plan. My dreams all focused on my passion: dance. And dance I did. Dance has taken me to places and opened doors that were never part of that first childish dream of being a ballerina. My dance took me to performing, choreography, teaching, working in film, theatre, TV, cabaret. I danced on stages, studios, art galleries, village halls, lawns, islands, mountains, schools, universities, communities; in India, New Zealand, Peru, Colombia, Curacao, Algeria, Egypt. most European countries, Mexico, Turkey, Iran, Sri Lanka.....

And it was as a movement tutor at LAMDA that I met Anoja Weerasinghe, Sri Lankan film star. Anoja took a year out in 1989 of a very successful career, she had previously won the best actress award at the Asian 'Oscars' in Delhi, to study acting on LAMDA's one year classical theatre course. During this time we became firm friends. And yes, it was an extraordinary action that Anoja took - to study acting whilst at the pinnacle of her career. But then that is Anoja, an extraordinary and inspiring being.

My first visit to Sri Lanka was as an adjunct to the British Council sponsored trip I was making to India in my role as a theatre director and movement teacher. On that first trip Anoja requested that I devise and deliver a month long course for all the leading Sri Lankan film artists. In the middle of this on 1st May 1993 the president Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated by the LTTE in a suicide bombing. This was my introduction to the volatility and violence of the politics in this small and beautiful country. Premadasa's funeral opened my eyes to the power that performers have when they glow from a silver screen into the lives of others. My early passion was ignited, I saw clearly how important it is to have skilled, talented and truthful performers entering our living rooms and cinemas on a daily basis.

I returned many times to Sri Lanka over the following years, I designed and delivered courses to varying groups of people: teachers, actors, dancers, singers, social workers, psychiatrists, doctors, community leaders and others. Some of these courses brought together teachers and community leaders from all over Sri Lanka to Bellangwilla Temple in Mount Lavinia. These groups were a mixture of men, women, Tamil and Singhalese, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim. The emphasis of these 14 day courses was on theatre in its most ancient, sacred and healing apparel, a theatre of uniting communities that transcends separating beliefs.

My own search for healing was ongoing. I had never held the notion that I could help others. I struggled with life in my own little bubble. I went on courses, workshops and trainings looking for insight. I studied T'ai-Chi, Qigong, massage, Reiki, meditation, anger management, NLP, shamanism, Buddhism and other self-development philosophies. I met several wise and compassionate teaches who helped me, and continue to support me, be kind to myself and extend this kindness to others. I respnded to an urge to learn T'ai-Chi in 1986. I started teaching it in 1990 when a group came to me wanting to learn. Through teaching others I have gradually learned more about myself. In 1999 I went into retreat to deepen my meditation practice. One of the treasures I took from this time in retreat was some advice Suzuki Roshi gave to one of his students when told that she wished to help others. 'Be careful', Suzuki said to her, 'Sometimes when we we help we harm.'

How to help without harming? Running a charity is fraught with the dangers of harming when intending to help.

Sri Lanka, a land unparallelled in its beauty, is also a land with a unique set of challenges. The Tsunami of 2004 devastated the country and its people. The on-going war has spanned over thirty years and has left over 70,000 dead, many more wounded and an unimaginable number scarred. and displaced.

In 2005, not long after the tsnuami, I went to Sri Lanka to find out for myself how to support the work that Anoja was doing to aid those suffering the effects of that disaster and the on-going civil war. Anoja was leading all the community courses herself, wearing herself to a frazzle, travelling all over the country to respond to the many requests for her and her team. To help spread this load I returned in January 2006 and delivered a course to train the trainers, enabling many more people to have the skills to go out into the remote areas and work with communities in shock. This programme has carried on since then and is supported by the Norwegian government.

After the tsunami Anoja and I gathered a group of committed professionals from Sri Lanka and the UK to form The Abhina Foundation. Abhina uses the Performing Arts as a means of developing people, of healing hurts, of refining talent, of releasing anger, of honing skills, and equipping people with confidence; to live life fully, to work creatively, and mostly to be free.

After the disasters of the 2004 tsunami and the ongoing civil war, where so many people lost everything, the replacement of material goods, jobs and homes to live in was a priority. But beyond that is the task of enabling individuals and communities to lift themselves out of dependency and depression to a place of hope and creativity. This is the work of the Abhina Foundation, offering hope where before there was only bleakness.

The work of Abhina is urgently needed as the situation in Sri Lanka worsens and thousands are homeless. On Friday May 22nd we aim to raise sufficient funds to ensure this vital work continues in the camps scattered across Sri Lanka that give temporary shelter to all those displaced as a result of the current crisis.

We can all help and every penny goes where it is needed

Be there on 22 May- or if you really, really cannot join us, buy tickets to be part of
The Clothes Swap Evening!

I look forward to receiving your donation, made payable to 'The Abhina Foundation UK' and to seeing you on Friday May 22nd at Bridges, 6.30pm - 9.30pm for an uplifting and inspiring evening. And if you cannot attend your ticket will go into the raffle.

Warm wishes
Sue Weston