The narrow staircase crammed between two shops on a busy road, with its worn-out tiles and a street dog taking its siesta, seems like the entrance to a warehouse. Who would imagine it would lead to a theatre studio that stages regular public shows?
Small art spaces are on the rise in Bengaluru, in the most unexpected corners, some raw in their architectural design and others bright and sophisticated. They host multi-genre art events ranging from fine arts to performing arts which earlier were largely conducted in big auditoriums or galleries in the city.
Current cultural needs
“Conventional theatres or large auditoriums that are few in number can host only a limited number of art events. They certainly fall short of their capacity to cater to the cultural needs of a growing population that is diverse. Secondly, current lifestyle has become so demanding that city folk do not wish to travel for more than an hour to watch a performance any more. This is where alternative spaces play a role, bridging these gaps,” explains Anuradha, who manages Untitled Space , an intimate space on the rooftop of a residential building in J.P. Nagar.
“Grandeur of stage, costume and acoustics are no more necessary for staging theatre productions, dance shows or solo acts today. Audience is looking for diverse actors, interesting content and a simple performance space,” observes Ram Nivas Singh, a member of Yours Truly Theatre (YTT) troupe. Actors of YTT feel minimalism is the order of the day and troupes are constantly coming up with fresh ideas and simpler ways to catch attention of the audience. Observing the trend, Dipankar Panth, Creative Director, Shoonya Centre says: “Currently, there is a change in the definitions of ‘art’ and ‘art spaces’ globally. The emergence of small spaces in the city is part of this larger evolution in the field of arts.”
- Rangoli Art Centre, M.G. Road holds art exhibitions, installations, college seminars, street theatre and more. “It is most sought after for stand-up comedies,” informs an official at the centre.
- Lahe Lahe has been regularly conducting participatory art events where the audience contributes to the course of the event. Poetry, storytelling, singing, music jam, travellers’ meet-ups and quizzes on topics of common interest attract a number of amateurs who wish to take respective hobbies to the next level or just watch the creative flow of their fellows. “I come here to express myself and to learn from like-minded fellows. What is ecstatic about small spaces is that they are non-judgemental,” feels a participant at Write Out Loud, weekly poetry event conducted by Lahe Lahe.
- If Courtyard Koota located amidst a cluster of eco-friendly homes on Mysore Road provides an earthen touch to the art shows on socially and environmentally relevant topics, Kappanna Angala, J.P. Nagar with its Kannada cultural ambience is an appropriate place to savour folk art forms of India. “KappannaAngala also holds monthly classical dance (Nruthya Bhanu) and music concert (Aalap) series,” informs its founder, Sneha Kappanna.
- Vyoma is a technically sound artspace for theatre of all sorts. As the prime focus of Shoonya Centre for Arts and Somatic Practices is the relevance of the arts for the well-being of body and mind, it curates discussions, workshops and shows that are based on movement therapies and healing practices from around the world. It is an interdisciplinary space for conversations among contemporary dancers, classical artistes, therapists, nutritionists and shamans.
- Courtyard Café, Double Road holds talks, discussions, lecture demonstrations and film screenings in its hall.
- Apart from multi-genre art events, these spaces which host up to sixty people also conduct week-long or week-end workshops on pottery, gond art, crafts, martial arts, creative dance, folk dance forms, body alignment, chess and more. Language depends on the preference of the community surrounding the space. In most places it is either English or Hindi. In a couple of them, it is Kannada.
Informal setting
For Masoom Parmar, curator of art events in Bengaluru, small spaces are about forging connections with the arts and artistes. “Artistes who would usually sign off after their scheduled performances in conventional auditoriums, now come here to engage with the audience, speak about their art form and about themselves. Personal stories about their gurus, training, hardships of life and career etc. are being shared and such talks witness attendance from eager students of performing arts,” he observes. “They are also enabling interactions among established artistes from same and also different forms, which otherwise hardly occurs,” the curator adds.
The very size and design of these spaces forge relationships and enable interactions. “Even a slight movement of the eye can easily be observed by the audience seated just five feet away. It humanises the actors, builds familiarity and close connection between the audience and performers,” observes theatre director Sharath Parvathavani, who co-founded, VyomaArtspace, JP Nagar along with theatre actor, Rajashree.
Panel discussions and talks on classical dance and music are increasingly being held in small spaces; they provide a chance for many in the audience to ask questions, comment or share anecdotes. “Solo-acts with a minimalistic set which might look dull on a big stage suit best here,” say founders, who have been witnessing a variety of solo acts in their respective intimate spaces.
“If big productions are loud, grand and often possess a bit of exaggeration, productions for small spaces have to be intense and subtle,” says Veena Basavarajaiah, a Bengaluru-based contemporary dancer.
Ample creative opportunities
Black box theatres, flexible spaces where stage and seating arrangement can be reworked for a play, are a Pandora’s Box full of opportunities and surprises for a lot of theatre troupes. For explaining the multiple ways in which the same space can be used to enhance the unique flavour of each play, Sharath Parvathavani recalls an experiment by a theatre team Suyoga, recently at Vyoma. “For Bharata Yatre , a play written by Akshara K.V. on the inner journey of a traveller, the troupe kept moving the stage, scene after scene and the play finally ended at our cafe.” Although there lies immense creative possibilities for troupes to explore in intimate spaces, the conceptualisation of stage arrangement comes as an additional burden for some.
- Although small spaces are cost-effective and less energy consuming when compared to large auditoriums, running an alternative space has its own challenges.
- Managers of spaces in residential areas constantly need to confront their neighbours who would have issues with noise and vehicular congestion on roads.
- Stabilising an art space financially takes its own sweet time. “We haven’t yet broken even, but we are happy that our experiments with this space have worked,” says Rajashree of Vyoma, a ten-month-old space.
- The idea of an intimate art space is still in the process of being comprehended by many. Therefore, hiring staff for these spaces and running it professionally is also challenging at this juncture.
No doubt small spaces are encouraging creation of original scripts aiding the development of local and regional theatre and arts, “it is, at the same time, challenging for artistes to deliver fresh content through newer ways of expression for short durations,” admit some performers.
New storytelling techniques like playback and improvisational, which involve the audience also, are being tried.
If for amateurs small spaces have opened up doors of opportunities, they have enabled acclaimed performers to connect personally with their audience.
Alternative spaces are building tiny ecosystems of art which, in turn, are recreating ‘the personal’ in their own unique way at a time when the idea of the community is gradually vanishing in cities.
