ABOUT US
Conscious Performance Studies (CPS)
Who We Are: – Conscious Performance Studies (CPS) is an emerging interdisciplinary field that extends performance theory into the domains of consciousness, ethical formation, and embodied knowledge. We are a collective of scholars, practitioners, theatre pedagogues, and researchers committed to rethinking performance as a disciplined rehearsal of human awareness rather than mere representation.
Our Foundational Proposition
Why CPS is Necessary
Performance is more than entertainment; it is a structured technology of consciousness. Through rehearsal, individuals train essential faculties, including:
– Attention
– Identity plasticity
– Impulse regulation
– Relational intelligence
– Ethical responsiveness
CPS formalizes and studies this training process.
Modern education often privileges abstract cognition over embodied transformation. While performance theory has traditionally explored ritual and culture, it has rarely operationalized consciousness as a trainable architecture. CPS emerges as a rigorous response to global challenges, such as rising attention fragmentation and the marginalization of embodied knowledge traditions.
Our Core Architecture
CPS operates through three integrated domains
1. Conscious Performance Studies: The umbrella discipline theorizing performance as ontological training.
2. Conscious Action Training (CAT): The pedagogical method translating theory into practice through modules like breath regulation, impulse control, and identity flexibility.
3. Conscious Performance Practice: The research laboratory for embodied inquiry.
About the Founder
Dr. Sai Acharya
Founder, Conscious Performance Studies (CPS) | Creator, Conscious Action Training (CAT)
Dr. Sai Acharya is a theatre scholar, practitioner, and pedagogue with over two decades of experience in performance practice, applied theatre, and embodied research. His work redefines performance as a tool for human development—focusing on attention, emotion, and action as trainable capacities. He is the founder of Conscious Performance Studies (CPS) and the creator of Conscious Action Training (CAT), a practice-based framework that integrates theatre, embodied awareness, and behavioral science to cultivate conscious action in individuals and institutions.
Dr. Acharya has worked across diverse domains—including political leadership, corporate sectors, IT professionals, and the film industry—designing training programs that address the psychological and behavioral demands of high-pressure environments. His approach enables individuals to remain attentive, responsive, and grounded in complex situations. His work stands at the intersection of art, psychology, and social practice, contributing to leadership development, well-being, and conscious citizenship.
Academic & Research Profile
Dr. Sai Acharya completed his doctoral research at the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Hyderabad, under the supervision of B. Ananthakrishnan. His scholarship engages with performance studies, applied theatre, and embodied cognition, positioning performance as an epistemic and transformative practice.
His research integrates theatre pedagogy with enactive and embodied approaches to cognition, alongside Indian knowledge frameworks, to explore how awareness and action can be cultivated through structured practice. His work extends performance theory beyond representation into the domain of lived experience, behavior, and conscious self-development.
Framework & Methodology
Dr. Acharya is the conceptualizer of Conscious Performance Studies (CPS)—an emerging interdisciplinary field that examines performance as a mode of knowing, doing, and becoming. Within this framework, he developed Conscious Action Training (CAT), a structured methodology that combines:
Theatre-based practices (role-play, improvisation, simulation)
Embodied awareness training
Reflective and experiential learning processes.
CAT is designed to bridge the gap between knowledge and action by transforming habitual, automatic responses into conscious, intentional behavior. It enables participants to engage with awareness not as an abstract concept, but as a lived and trainable skill.
Professional Practice & Applications
Dr. Acharya’s work extends beyond academic research into diverse real-world contexts.
He has designed and delivered training programs for:
Political leaders and public representatives
Corporate and business professionals
IT sector teams
Creative and film industry practitioners
His practice addresses critical challenges such as:
Decision-making under pressure
Emotional regulation and burnout
Leadership presence and communication
Clarity and responsibility in action
Through embodied and performative methods, he equips individuals and groups to navigate complex environments with greater awareness, adaptability, and effectiveness.
Contribution & Global Relevance
Dr. Acharya’s work contributes to contemporary global conversations on:
Education reform
Embodied and experiential learning
Leadership development
Well-being and conscious practice
Through CPS and CAT, he proposes a scalable and interdisciplinary model for cultivating conscious citizenship and enhancing both individual capacity and collective functioning in an increasingly complex world.