The doors of Wandering Artist are always open. Except for the occasional rustle of leaves and chirping of birds, the space is silent.
Inside, there are guitars and abstract paintings, all illuminated by bulbs that swing from the ceiling. This space is the new adda for cross-cultural collaborations and intimate gatherings for art and learning. It has already hosted five events, featuring mridangist Vikku Vinayakram, theatre actor PC Ramakrishna, and musician Anil Srinivasan.
It was love at first sight, says Sriram Ayer, co-founder of the project. After visiting around 15 places, he and his artist friend, Kavery Poovanna, also the co-founder, zeroed in on this cosy structure. The seven rooms, an open-air space behind the kitchen and the living room downstairs have been allocated for theatre performances, fine arts classes, pottery and carpentry classes, music classes, lecture demonstrations, craft store, kids’ painting classes, co-working space and a café.
Connecting people
The idea is to allow creative thoughts to spill out of the four walls and intermingle. “All of these are connected. If I am learning percussion, I can drop into the artiste interaction room, where there is a session by Vikku Vinayakram. Or if I am learning music here, I could go through a voice culture workshop at the lecture demonstration room. This is also an opportunity for artistes to come together and collaborate,” says Ayer.
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The best part is, its doors are open to professional artistes as well as amateurs. “No one is here to judge you or put you down. You get to understand yourself through art. The idea is to inspire others and get inspired,” says Poovanna. They got an overwhelming response at the Valentine’s Day special event, where couples were asked to spend an evening, painting together. “Most of them were not artistes. But the space was packed. It was a great way to spend quality time. They spent two hours sharing, talking, making mistakes and being silly,” says Ayer.
For a cause
Ayer is also the founder of NalandaWay Foundation that works with around 43,000 students in Government schools to use art for learning, healing, and expression. Around 50% of the money from Wandering Artist projects will go to the NalandaWay Foundation. Ayer and Poovanna have known each other for 10 years. They have shared art classes at DakshinaChitra. The idea for a cultural hub in the city had been brewing in their minds for a long time. “We put our heads together last year to do something about it,” says Ayer. The space started hosting programmes since January, and is fully ready for classes and events. Ayer and Poovanna are in talks with artistes for classes and workshops. All the programmes, along with workshops and training modules, are set to start in full swing from March.
In the future, for the serious art students, they will also offer an Integrated Performing Arts Management course, with a certification from the Trinity College. However, they say that they will ensure that the space is not elitist. “Art is for everybody. It is up to each of us to decide how deep we want to dive into it. But, you need to provide the right opportunity to all for that,” says Ayer.
What next?
A movement and acting workshop for women by actor Pooja Devariya
@ 51, 6th Main Rd, RA Puram, March 8, from 6 pm
Fee: ₹1,700 (including dinner)
9840111425
The Wandering Artist
weekend plan
First Saturdays: Comedy night
Second Saturdays: Artist’s Soul, conversations on life journeys of creative people
Third Saturdays: Music concerts curated by Anil Srinivasan
Fourth Saturdays and Sundays: A play, with shows on Saturday and Sunday
Co-working space
Interior: A non-office space with bar stools, conference table, a book shelf and uninterrupted wi-fi
Charge: ₹9,000 per month or ₹500 per day
Open from 9 am to 9 pm
