When Kempe Gowda II, son of Kempe Gowda I, the founder of Bangalore, built the towers of the city at Lal Bagh, Kempambudhi tank, Ulsoor Lake and Mekhri Circle in the sixteenth century, they were expected to serve as the northern, western and southern towers of the city with a population of less than one lakh people. Little did he realise that by the year 2005, his modest hamlet would be the fastest growing city in Asia, having extended beyond 400 sq km with a population of 70 lakh. Schools, colleges, housing societies, hospitals, shopping malls, private clubs and multiplexes have mushroomed across the city not to speak of a burgeoning number of neighbourhood newspapers.

PICTURE SPEAK

DREAM PROJECT: The Rajas at the site of their auditorium Jagriti

The latest addition to this line of self-service communities are performance spaces or auditoriums. Till a few years ago, there was hardly any space devoted to the performing arts apart from government-run auditoriums. Today, there are at least 10 new spaces that have recently opened to the public or are in the final stages of construction. Corporates, individuals and arts and cultural committees are all trying to create space for the arts.

One of the first to start the movement was Arundhati Nag. "I wanted a place that would showcase and promote only theatre," she says. The result of this vision was Ranga Shankara, located in J.P. Nagar and built at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore. "The state government was a huge support, as were Nandan and Rohini Nilekani of Infosys. The rest of the money was raised through friends, well-wishers and theatre lovers," says Nag. The inspiration behind the module was Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre not only in terms of look, but also in funding. If Prithvi has a long-term financial relationship with Orange, Ranga Shankara has forged a similar one with Hutch in Bangalore to help with day-to-day operations.

Proving that not all spaces have to be capital intensive is mediaperson and film and theatre director Prakash Belawadi. He set up probably Bangalore's only true black box theatre called Nani's Arena (dedicated to the late theatre maestro from Karnataka, Nani). "We haven't spent too much money on it. In fact we have not even raised any extra funds from either the government or from any other grant-making bodies," he avers. Belawadi believes that existing spaces should be revamped instead of creating more of them. But his is a lone voice in a larger group that feels that cities like Bangalore and Mumbai have grown beyond what was initially estimated by the city's founding fathers and this growth has necessitated the need for community centres.

"Every locality must have its own centre for the arts. Commuting is becoming increasingly difficult. So if you can't go to the theatre, there should be one close by to cater to your needs," says singer Lalitha Ubhaykar who has created a 200-seater space within the premises of her residence. "I want everything to happen here-children's workshops, plays, sessions of yoga and meditation, small gatherings for theatre, music and dance," she says.

PICTURE SPEAK

ACT ONE: Nag's Ranga Shankara is the first theatre of its kind in the city

Theatre personality Mahesh Dattani felt the need for a private cultural space much before it became a rage. His open air amphitheatre Kalanjali has hosted many plays, workshops and pottery sessions. "I just wanted a small space where friends could sit around and enjoy a performance," he says.

If Dattani created a private space that was an extension of his home, Arundhati and Jagdish Raja of The Artistes Repertory Theatre are putting the finishing touches to their theatre Jagriti outside the city. A joint deal with a real-estate developer saw their dream property being transformed into apartment blocks. But it has also helped them realise the dream of having a state-of-the-art theatre. The Rajas are confident that the theatre, located in Whitefield, will find its own audience. "There are huge townships in this area, each with as many as 300-500 houses, plus the entire workforce of the Technology Park. These people are not going to travel to town to catch a play, we must have something in every locality," says Jagdish.

As a step in that direction, architect Naresh Narasimhan has documented the existence of several "abandoned granite quarries as well as old tanks which can be used as public spaces for performance and only need to be reclaimed from the government". He has been involved with the restructuring of the old Manikavelu mansion into the Gallery of Modern Art in Bangalore. The gallery has a separate space for performances. Corporates joining the ranks include Infosys and ING Vysya, which have created auditoriums in their premises for employees. The Nilekanis have privately financed the construction of an auditorium in Dharwad and handed it over to the Karnatak University, as part of their endeavour to fund arts-related projects.

What is heartening is that besides art galleries, restaurants and pubs are also creating make-shift performance spaces to drive the cultural scene in the city. Bhushan Oberoi of the Casa Piccola chain of Italian restaurants has made adequate provision for a stage in his new Mediterranean lounge Casa Del Sol. "If I can organise a few music concerts and plays in the evenings it will at least bring a slice of culture into the life of my diners," he says. And try as they might Bangaloreans will not be able to stay away from auditoriums, for the auditoriums are proceeding very swiftly towards them.

PICTURE SPEAK

HOME THEATRE: Dattani's amphitheatre Kalanjali is built at his residence

The latest addition to this line of self-service communities are performance spaces or auditoriums. Till a few years ago, there was hardly any space devoted to the performing arts apart from government-run auditoriums. Today, there are at least 10 new spaces that have recently opened to the public or are in the final stages of construction. Corporates, individuals and arts and cultural committees are all trying to create space for the arts.

One of the first to start the movement was Arundhati Nag. "I wanted a place that would showcase and promote only theatre," she says. The result of this vision was Ranga Shankara, located in J.P. Nagar and built at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore. "The state government was a huge support, as were Nandan and Rohini Nilekani of Infosys. The rest of the money was raised through friends, well-wishers and theatre lovers," says Nag. The inspiration behind the module was Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre not only in terms of look, but also in funding. If Prithvi has a long-term financial relationship with Orange, Ranga Shankara has forged a similar one with Hutch in Bangalore to help with day-to-day operations.

Proving that not all spaces have to be capital intensive is mediaperson and film and theatre director Prakash Belawadi. He set up probably Bangalore's only true black box theatre called Nani's Arena (dedicated to the late theatre maestro from Karnataka, Nani). "We haven't spent too much money on it. In fact we have not even raised any extra funds from either the government or from any other grant-making bodies," he avers. Belawadi believes that existing spaces should be revamped instead of creating more of them. But his is a lone voice in a larger group that feels that cities like Bangalore and Mumbai have grown beyond what was initially estimated by the city's founding fathers and this growth has necessitated the need for community centres.

"Every locality must have its own centre for the arts. Commuting is becoming increasingly difficult. So if you can't go to the theatre, there should be one close by to cater to your needs," says singer Lalitha Ubhaykar who has created a 200-seater space within the premises of her residence. "I want everything to happen here-children's workshops, plays, sessions of yoga and meditation, small gatherings for theatre, music and dance," she says.

Theatre personality Mahesh Dattani felt the need for a private cultural space much before it became a rage. His open air amphitheatre Kalanjali has hosted many plays, workshops and pottery sessions. "I just wanted a small space where friends could sit around and enjoy a performance," he says.

If Dattani created a private space that was an extension of his home, Arundhati and Jagdish Raja of The Artistes Repertory Theatre are putting the finishing touches to their theatre Jagriti outside the city. A joint deal with a real-estate developer saw their dream property being transformed into apartment blocks. But it has also helped them realise the dream of having a state-of-the-art theatre. The Rajas are confident that the theatre, located in Whitefield, will find its own audience. "There are huge townships in this area, each with as many as 300-500 houses, plus the entire workforce of the Technology Park. These people are not going to travel to town to catch a play, we must have something in every locality," says Jagdish.

As a step in that direction, architect Naresh Narasimhan has documented the existence of several "abandoned granite quarries as well as old tanks which can be used as public spaces for performance and only need to be reclaimed from the government". He has been involved with the restructuring of the old Manikavelu mansion into the Gallery of Modern Art in Bangalore. The gallery has a separate space for performances. Corporates joining the ranks include Infosys and ING Vysya, which have created auditoriums in their premises for employees. The Nilekanis have privately financed the construction of an auditorium in Dharwad and handed it over to the Karnatak University, as part of their endeavour to fund arts-related projects.

What is heartening is that besides art galleries, restaurants and pubs are also creating make-shift performance spaces to drive the cultural scene in the city. Bhushan Oberoi of the Casa Piccola chain of Italian restaurants has made adequate provision for a stage in his new Mediterranean lounge Casa Del Sol. "If I can organise a few music concerts and plays in the evenings it will at least bring a slice of culture into the life of my diners," he says. And try as they might Bangaloreans will not be able to stay away from auditoriums, for the auditoriums are proceeding very swiftly towards them.

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