The Ocean Between Us

A bold new work bridging continents and conversations…

The Ocean Between Us is a cross-cultural movement theatre work created by Indian artist Diya Naidu and Australian artist Nadia Milford. Rooted in contemporary dance, writing, and embodied storytelling, the piece explores the body as a site of connection, resistance, and care.

At its heart lies a simple yet urgent question: When words fail, what prevails? Through the metaphor of the Indian Ocean, both a barrier and a bridge between their homelands, the artists investigate how difference can become a site of intimacy and possibility.

Two women meet across distance, dancing between the personal and political, the forest and the city, the said and the unsaid. Their performance unfolds through sometimes poetic, sometimes conversational text and movement, inviting audiences into a space of deep listening, vulnerability, and reflection. It interrogates the dynamics of a Global North–South collaboration, the complexities of forming friendship across inequality, and the emotional labour of navigating discomfort, disagreement, and care.

With honesty, humour, and poetic clarity, The Ocean Between Us offers an alternative to binary thinking. It proposes that movement and language can so often conflict, and that the body can be an instrument of co-creation in a divided world.

We are seeking presenting partners and residencies to bring this urgent and timely work to diverse audiences across the globe.

Digital Archive: @theoceanbetween_us

This project was proudly funded by The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Maitri Cultural Partnerships Fund, with the support of Shoonya Centre for Somatic Research, Home of the Arts (HOTA) and BEMAC.