Poulomi Desai

Poulomi Desai was born in Hackney and moved to Harrow as a child. She was raised by her mother in a single-parent household. She co-founded the Hounslow Arts Cooperative Theatre (HAC) in 1978 aged 13, after being approached by Hardial Rai, who was filming a poetry recital at the Commonwealth Institute in which Desai performed. The founding of HAC was influenced by Desai’s interest in DIY punk culture and a longing to connect with like-minded people in Hounslow. HAC’s manifesto described the organization as a ‘voice for angry youths’, which was reflected in the performances it staged. For example, in 1986 HAC staged a play about disaffected British South Asian youths who wanted to leave their dead-end town, written by Parv Bancil. According to Bancil in later recollections, the council members and local mayor in attendance – who were preparing to fund the centre – left during the interval. They expected to see Kathak and traditional South Asian costumes, and instead saw the types of subversive youth cultures that reflected Bancil's and other young British South Asians' experiences.

In 1988 Desai co-founded Shakti with activist Shivananda Khan. Shakti, a not-for-profit organization, was the UK’s first South Asian LGBTQIA+ campaign group and club, which ran regular support groups and club nights, and published a newsletter titled ‘Awaaz’. She also co-founded India’s first HIV/AIDS charity, called the NAZ Foundation, with Khan in 1991.

Alongside her work to support LGBTQIA+ groups, Desai has continued refining her own practice as an actor, writer and multimedia artist. For example, between 1994 and 1996 she was a resident performer at the Brentford-based Watermans Arts Centre. In recent years Desai has specialized in sound art and has exhibited her sound installations globally. In 2010 Desai set up an artist-led space called Usurp Art Gallery and Studios, based in Harrow. In 2017 she was a Leverhulme Trust-funded artist in residence at Heritage Quay, University of Huddersfield.