— SHIVAAKRITI® FOUNDATION —
Where art and culture
become the language of personal,
environmental, and social change.
An NGO founded by Aparna Mishra. Funded entirely by the profits of her practice. Serving the underserved through art, culture, and dignity.
— THE FUNDING MODEL —
She doesn't raise funds. She earns them.
Every training, workshop, scholarship, and event is funded from Aparna's own pocket — not one rupee accepted as charity or donation since the Foundation began.
— THE JOURNEY —
Officially founded in 2015. The work began decades earlier.
Early 1990s
A nine-year-old Aparna begins teaching the children of her household helps in the backyard of her family's home. The lessons were Kathak — but through Kathak came the alphabets, the numbers, and the first language any of those children had been given for becoming.
1999 — Vasant Panchami
Kala Saadhna® is founded — Indian Art and Culture Centre. Born from a simple conviction: that the children who had gathered from the neighbourhood and joined the backyard classes deserved more than goodwill — they deserved an institution. The fees Aparna collected from paying students funded everything the underprivileged children needed to train — books, stationery, ghungroos. The institution was built so that no child who showed up would be turned away for not being able to pay.
2000s
The cultural humanitarian work expands — programmes for underprivileged children, women, the differently abled, and juvenile centres. All funded from the profits of Aparna's own practice.
2015
The work is formally named Shivaakriti® Foundation — drawn from Aparna's two daughters, Shivanshi and Kritika. A name that holds the next generation inside it, because the work was always for them.
2026
Five flagship programmes running across Mumbai and rural India. Self-funded since inception. Zero external charity accepted for general operations.
— THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS —
It began in a backyard. She was nine.
In the early 1990s, in the backyard of her family's home, Aparna Mishra began teaching the children of her household helps. They could not afford school. So she taught them what she knew — Kathak, music, and through that, the alphabets, the numbers, the language of becoming.
What began as a tender act became a calling. From it grew Kala Saadhna® — founded not as a business, but as a way to ensure that the fees from paying students could fund the books, the stationery, and the ghungroos for those who could not pay. The institution was built so that no child who showed up would be turned away.
And from the profits of Kala Saadhna®, slowly, came the foundation that would carry her vision forward.
— THE FOUR VERTICALS —
Where the work flows.
01
Social
Education, dignity, and opportunity for the underprivileged. Confronting taboos around gender, caste, and class through art.
02
Environmental
Sustainability advocacy, water conservation, and the eco-activist work that places earth-care at the centre of cultural consumption.
03
Mental & Emotional Health
Free counselling, emotional resilience programmes for juvenile centres, and the rebuilding of inner life for those society overlooks.
04
Indian Art & Culture
Preservation of classical dance, music, and traditional crafts as living disciplines — accessible to the children, women, and youth who would otherwise never meet them.
— THE PROGRAMMES —
One vision, in many forms.
01
Susanskrit
Government-approved degree and certification in Indian classical dance and music, through Guru-Shishya parampara. For underprivileged youth, women, and children — turning art into livelihood, discipline, and inheritance.
02
Kshamta
Classical dance, music, and art to develop motor function, identify strengths, and build self-esteem. Where ability is found, not measured.
03
Sa-Shakt
Women across socio-economic backgrounds — particularly rural India — discovering voice, livelihood, and quiet power through crafts, painting, sculpture, and handicrafts. She is already empowered. We help her remember it.
04
Kaushal
Dance, music, stage performance, painting, and creative production for underprivileged youth. Exposing talent, building confidence, and revealing possibilities beyond what they had been told.
05
Shashakt
Emotional wellbeing and reprogramming workshops at juvenile centres. Through Kathak, conversation, and presence — addressing wounds beneath behaviour. Where children are rebuilt, not punished.
"I do not raise funds. I earn them — to make my surrounding happy and joyful."
— APARNA
— ENGAGE THE FOUNDATION —
The most powerful way to support the work.
Every salon, keynote, and performance you book is itself an act of philanthropy. Aparna's profits become the fuel that runs the Foundation's unique initiatives — because the work was never about building wealth. It was about earning enough to give it where it matters.
For institutional partnerships, collaborations, or to learn more about the work — begin a conversation.
Connects via WhatsApp · Or write to [email protected]
— FREQUENTLY ASKED —
About the Foundation
What is Shivaakriti® Foundation?
A registered NGO founded by Aparna Mishra, using art and culture as the language of personal, environmental, and social change. Working across four verticals: Social, Environmental, Mental and Emotional Health, and Indian Art and Culture. Named after Aparna's two daughters, Shivanshi and Kritika. Self-funded since inception.
How is the Foundation funded?
Entirely from Aparna Mishra's own pocket — her Kathak salons, experiential keynotes, and signature performances. Not one rupee has been accepted as charity or donation since the Foundation began.
What programmes does the Foundation run?
Five flagship programmes: Susanskrit (education through classical dance and music), Kshamta (for the differently abled), Sa-Shakt (women's empowerment through crafts and livelihood), Kaushal (skill development for underprivileged youth), and Shashakt (emotional repair at juvenile centres). All delivered through classical Indian arts and Guru-Shishya parampara.
When was the Foundation established?
The humanitarian work began in the early 1990s when Aparna, then nine, started teaching the children of her household helps. Kala Saadhna® was founded in 1999. The work was formally named Shivaakriti® Foundation in 2015.
Why is it named Shivaakriti?
The name is drawn from Aparna's two daughters — Shivanshi and Kritika. A name that holds the next generation inside it, because the work was always for them.
Can I donate to the Foundation?
NO, THE FOUNDATION DOES NOT ACCEPT EXTERNAL DONATIONS.
How does booking Aparna support the Foundation?
The profits of every salon, keynote, and performance Aparna delivers fund the Foundation's programmes. When you book an experience with Aparna, you are directly supporting the education of a child, the livelihood of a woman, or the emotional repair of a teenager. No separate donation needed.
Can institutions partner with the Foundation?
Yes. Schools, corporates, government bodies, and cultural institutions seeking to collaborate on education, skill, emotional health, or cultural programming are welcome. Contact [email protected].
Where does the Foundation operate?
Across Mumbai and rural India. Programmes reach juvenile centres, schools, rural communities, and underprivileged urban populations.
What is the connection between Kala Saadhna® and the Foundation?
Kala Saadhna® is the Indian Art and Culture Centre Aparna founded in 1999. Its profits, along with the profits of her salons, keynotes, and performances, fund the Shivaakriti® Foundation's programmes. The institution and the foundation are two arms of the same vision.