On 12 January, 2026 British Council in collaboration with IBSA curated an engaging fireside chat with Prof. Ananya Jahanara Kabir, FBA of King’s College London who was in dialogue with Dr. Debanjan Chakrabarti, Director East and Northeast India and Malavika Banerjee, Director of the Kolkata Literary Meet. It was a free flowing conversation exploring the unique concept of Alegropolitics – the politics of joyfulness as coined by Prof Kabir. The evening explored how dance, music, food, sports and culture can be powerful spaces for identity, connection and resistance. Through stories and anecdotes, Prof Kabir shed light on how beginning with dance, her interests now encompass textile, food and heritage as indices of creolisation.