Have you ever felt lost for words? Now imagine not having the vocabulary to describe an event in your life, and feeling imprisoned by it for years.

From mythological tales to cultural rituals to modern real life stories, this talk explores the power of storytelling and its role in healing. With an emphasis on South Asian cultural expectations, her own story of sexual abuse, and the need to create a space for talking about taboo issues, Indapure illustrates how the act of storytelling is therapeutic to the storyteller and beneficial to the listener. The presentation shows how talking about something that is hidden for so long releases the darkness and leads to creative channels and altruism. The ultimate goal of the talk is to show that by sharing our deeply personal stories, we are able to cross cultural barriers and heal together as a society.

Rituja Indapure is a volunteer, storyteller, activist, artist, and community organizer passionate about women’s education and equality. In 2010, she participated as a performer in Yoni Ki Baat, a program inspired by The Vagina Monologues, that has served as a powerful avenue to address societal issues that are otherwise not spoken about. Since then she has directed Yoni Ki Baat, Aaina (The South Asian Women’s Focus festival), and Bandhan, a project on the definition of marriage. Indapure is currently working on Wheatish, a documentary film about how skin color affects marriage in South Asian communities. Her formal training includes a BA in English literature, an LLB from the University of Pune, and an LLM from the University of Nottingham.

Indapure lives in Sammamish.