Nimi Ravindran and Shiva Pathak’s story reads considerably serendipitous. Their paths first converged in 2003, in the course of the manufacturing of a theatre venture that will set the stage for a permanent collaboration. What started as a shared endeavour blossomed right into a profound connection, pushed by a typical imaginative and prescient — the will to deliver collectively Bengaluru’s scattered theatre group.
The yr 2012 marked a pivotal second for the duo after they organised The Nice Galata, a theatre competition designed to rejoice World Theatre Day. This occasion was an open invitation to actors, administrators and playwrights, held on the iconic Ranga Shankara for 4 days. “Throughout this time, the theatre group in Bangalore, though scattered, got here collectively. We ate collectively, collaborated, and supported each other,” recollects Nimi.
Over three years, from 2012 to 2014, this expertise introduced collectively round 100 artistes, igniting a way of camaraderie harking back to school days. Nevertheless, the yr 2013 marked a turning level, as Nimi and Shiva determined to develop their collaboration and set up an organisation.
Nimi and Shiva’s resolution to type Sandbox Collective was not solely a pursuit of their creative desires but additionally a response to the challenges artistes face in India, together with the shortage of assets, funding, and infrastructure. Recognising the necessity for a extra conducive setting, the Collective was born with the hope that it could finally profit the broader creative ecosystem.
About their motivation to begin the Collective, Nimi explains, “Our thought was to create a greater setting and infrastructure for ourselves as artistes. We wished to work each day, be it by means of rehearsals, rigorous follow, or creating exhibits that concerned journey.”
She provides, “Our journey has been characterised by some important adjustments. Within the first yr, it felt like we have been experiencing fast progress because of the sheer variety of exhibits and tasks. Nevertheless, we began with a transparent imaginative and prescient of not wanting to provide industrial work. This meant we didn’t collaborate with stand-up comedians, not as a result of we didn’t respect their craft, however as a result of stand-up comedy already had a considerable viewers and industrial success.”
A scene from Mandeep Raikhy’s play, Queen Dimension, that discusses sexuality
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Particular Association
Ticket to inclusivity
What set Sandbox Collective aside throughout this era was its strategy to ticketing. As a substitute of mounted ticket costs, they employed donation bins, permitting audiences to contribute what they may afford. This strategy democratised theatre, making it accessible to a broader viewers. “We used to carry out wherever we might, together with individuals’s houses,” says Nimi.
These intimate settings helped bridge the hole between the performers and the viewers. As a substitute of the normal response of ‘good present, I loved it’ — they allowed for deeper post-show conversations.
Nevertheless, Nimi acknowledges the challenges they confronted. “Financially, this strategy was not sustainable as a result of a number of the viewers, notably those that have been financially well-off, usually didn’t realise the prices concerned in our productions and operations. And but, we did 120-plus exhibits yearly for the primary 5 years of our existence as a result of it was necessary and it introduced us loads of pleasure.”
Sandbox Collective additionally recognises the significance of community-owned and led artwork areas. Shiva reckons, “In at the moment’s India, we see the corporatisation of the humanities — glitzy buildings and well-funded ventures that beg the query, ‘Who’s it for?’ Possibly there’s area for all of that, however we should concurrently work to create community-owned artwork areas that break and oppose the hegemony of those prosperous areas.”
Gender Bender
One of many pivotal initiatives of the Sandbox Collective is the Gender Bender competition, a celebration of gender and its multifaceted dimensions. Launched in 2015, with the help of Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, this competition was initially conceived as a small, one-time occasion. It rapidly gained momentum attributable to surprising public help. “It made us realise there was an actual want for areas and conversations centered round gender,” says Nimi.
The competition is split into two sections. In a single, it showcases the works created by the 10 artistes from varied disciplines who’ve acquired a Gender Bender grant for that yr. The opposite part options performances, workshops, movie screenings and extra.
Sandbox Collective has additionally nurtured a feminist library, an area the place the voices of girls and gender minorities are amplified.
As Sandbox Collective completes a decade since its inception, the organisation’s founders envision a dynamic future. They aspire for it to be an area populated by artistes and people passionately devoted to the humanities. “It ought to consistently change and circulation based mostly on what the wants are 10 years from now,” says Shiva, “Bear in mind Bruce Lee mentioned, ‘Be like water.’ We hope Sandbox could be like water and make its approach by means of the cracks.”