PhD student Sudesh Mantillake awarded fellowship through ISLE program

Sudesh received ISLE Wilhelm Fellowship 2014, awarded by The Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education (ISLE) Program, a program between Bowdoin College, USA and University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Sudesh Mantillake, PhD student in Theatre and Performance Studies, and citizen of Sri Lanka, received an ISLE Wilhelm Fellowship, 2014. It is a competitive graduate fellowship awarded by The Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education (ISLE) Program, a program between Bowdoin College, Maine, and the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Sudesh Mantillake is a second year PhD student in the Theatre and Performance Studies program. He is a dancer, choreographer and a researcher. He received his BA degree from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and MSc degree from University of Lugano, Switzerland.

His research interests include Dance historiography, cultural heritage, traditional dance, nation building and he brings the South Asian performance perspective to the program. He trained in *Kandyan* dance and *Kathak* and has done internships at the National Museum of Dance, New York and at the Sri Lanka Educational, Cultural and Welfare Foundation, London.

Sudesh is a lecturer (on leave) in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He has been awarded, *International Teaching Fellowship* (University of Maryland, 2013-2014), *Leonardo Fellowship* (University of Lugano, 2006), *University Prize for Academic Excellence* (University of Peradeniya, 2004), *All Island Sri Lanka-Best solo dancer*(Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka, 1997).

Congratulations Sudesh!