In 1992 Dr. Mallika Sarabhai founded the Centre for Non-Violence through the Arts, encouraging artists from all fields of literature, the performing and visual arts to come together and share thoughts and ideas about non-violence, to spread new light on the issue through artistic creation. This Centre focuses the attention of artists from all fields of art and literature towards issues of violence with the aim of encouraging them to create new works that demand new thinking on related issues.  Perhaps the first of its kind in the world, the Centre provides facilities for artists to come together and share thoughts and ideas about non-violence.  Artists and writers interact through workshops and seminars.  Others are given fellowships to come, work and create at the Centre.  Yet others are given the facilities to write and be published.  An annual Festival of Non-Violence at the Academy’s theatre presents new and unseen work, some of it specially commissioned.  Children and young adults are encouraged to create paintings.  The best work is exhibited and awards are given.

Festival of Non-Violence

Darpana and Natarani host perhaps the world’s only Festival of Non-violence Through the Arts which starts every year from Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary (January 30), in Ahmedabad. Through this festival, Darpana tries to communicate the utter futility of violence and the need for plurality in our society.