Project 560: Grants

 

 

We shared the call for applications for Project 560 on December 5, 2013. The deadline for receipt of applications was January 31, 2014. We received a total of 23 proposals. Of these, we shortlisted 16 proposals for review by an external panel. Our panel consisted of four experts:

  • Vivek Shanbhag—acclaimed Kannada writer and translator based in Bangalore
  • Suresh Moona—researcher and expert on Bangalore history based in Bangalore.
  • Krishna Devanandan—dancer and critic based in Auroville, Pondicherry.
  • Sudhanva Deshpande—acclaimed theatre director and actor based in Delhi.  

On the basis of their recommendations, we made grants to six Bangalore-based artists/ artist groups.

  1. Rangasiri: To create a theatre performance around the Kempegowda tower located in Mekhri circle. The tower, constructed by Kempegowda II, the grandson of the city’s founder Kempegowda, is closely associated with the history of Bangalore. Through interviews with historians and an investigation of historical records, Rangasiri will create a theatrical piece that will be staged in and around the tower.
     
  2. Mounesh Badiger: To create a performance around the life and works of eminent Kannada writer Masti Venkatesha Iyengar. The performance will begin with a walk starting on the road in Gavipuram that is named after the writer, continue into Gandhi Bazaar and culminate near the Basavanagudi Club with a play devised from short stories written by Masti.
     
  3. Dimple Shah:  To create performance art work in the Basavanagudi area. Over three months, Dimple will create a series of six artistic interventions in prominent spots on the streets of Basavanagudi and Hanumantnagar. Domiciled in Bangalore for about 20 years, Dimple will engage the characteristic features of the city – its history, its colours and its people – in an attempt to examine questions about her own roots and identity.
     
  4. Mallika Prasad and Ram Ganesh Kamatham: To create a site-specific performance on the artificial climbing wall located within Phoenix Market City mall, Mahadevapura. As actors and avid mountaineers, Mallika and Ram Ganesh will develop the performance through a process of research into and experimentation with aerial movement, visual design, climbing techniques and urban art.
     
  5. 080-30 Collective: To support ten artists of the 080:30 collective to create site-specific performances in various parts of the city. Each of the ten artists will work with five different spaces and their projects will be chosen through a process of discussion and evaluation within the collective. The grant is being made to Naveen Mahantesh, an artist-architect and a member of the collective.
     
  6. Jeetin Rangher: To create a site-specific performance at Vinayak Mantap, a building on Bellary Road that used to be a marriage hall until it was recently sliced into half during the road construction process. Jeetin will take on the character of a migrant labour for three months and facilitate visual arts and performance arts works on the site. He will work in collaboration with visual artists Bhuvanesh Kumar and Katarina Rašić.

Project 560 has been supported by the Qualcomm Foundation.