For the past three years, at G5A, we have worked tirelessly to showcase that art and culture have the power to broaden our understanding of the past and the present, and to shape our shared future more thoughtfully, into what we hope is a just, equitable, and resilient one.
There is still a lot of work to be done; and to mark our fourth and fifth year, we’re evolving a working structure of how we plan, program, curate, (and soon, produce!). We now view the year in two parts: The G5A Zero Period and The G5A Season.
As we are constantly taking steps towards fostering an artistic ecosystem that is truly supportive of independent artists and practitioners who are pushing the boundaries of thought, form, and expression, we strongly feel this is the way forward.
We hope you do too.
The G5A Zero Period
Taking inspiration from the zero show and the zero periods we had in school, we would like to dedicate a time in the year for experimentation and exploration. We are strong proponents of rigour and riyaaz; we know that it takes hard work, long hours, and many, many iterations in order to create something we can all be proud of. We also believe in the power of collaboration and working together in an environment that is safe, patient, and encouraging.
Therefore, during the monsoon months of the Bombay year, we will be taking a step back from having public showings at the G5A Black Box and reserve it for rehearsals of all kinds: the beginnings of a performance, the final few touches before the grand opening, or to take a piece further with some on-the-floor devising.
We hope this practice becomes a positive impulse for our artistic community and becomes a much awaited tradition in the years to come.
Given that this will be the first year of the Zero Period, we will continue to program during this time, a few select programs that are part of a regular series. Over the course of a few years we hope that the need for this dedicated rehearsal time grows to a point where the Zero Period calendar remains uninterrupted.
We’re really excited about this and hope you are too! We can’t wait to get it going.
The Study will continue to welcome artists and community alike, to participate and share in exchanges of all kinds: conversations, workshops, listening sessions, and more.
And PORT Kitchen & Bar will continue to draw you in for a warm cup of coffee or tea and provide comfort and protection on an especially wet and unforgiving day.
The G5A Season
This will cover the rest of the year and will, for us, signify rebirth, regeneration, and renewal. During this time, the Black Box will be back in full swing, with work that continues to reinforce the Vision and Mission of G5A.
Here are some things to look forward to:
Performance Long Runs
During the G5A Season, we will present four performances that will all have a long run. Like much of shows at G5A, these long runs will not be tied to a particular discipline, but will be multidisciplinary in nature and perhaps even interdisciplinary when the piece warrants it.
The groups we work with for these Long Run performances will be a mix of those that are local: from the city and the country, and those that are international.
We’re eager to announce the shows of this inaugural season.
If this has caught your attention and is something you’d like to work with us on, please write to us at proposals@g5a.org with the subject “Long Run performance”, and we’ll get back to you with more details.
Monthly
Every third week of the month, we will have a series of recurring programs:
Anything done well must have a story to tell about its making, a process that allowed for it to evolve and realize itself into its final form; be it a musical composition, a painting, or simply the making of a delectable meal. We usually experience and admire the end product and most often remain oblivious to the painstaking, often devotional journey of its making; its process from concept to completion; the rigor and passion that it must so relentlessly involve.
This makes for significant archival material and if shared as stories, are critical to: learn from, aspire to and bring hope and reassurance, especially in a world that increasingly looks to instant results and instant gratification.
G5A is bringing back Projects | Process, a series of sessions where artists, performers, theatre makers, and designers will talk about the significance of process and its relevance to project-making in contemporary India, while sharing insights into the development of an ongoing or a recent piece of work.
Independent art, with all its disciplines, while being on the margins, has always been a resilient and fertile ground for dialogue and debate, innovation and ideological courage, and provides an alternate voice in a mainstream-dominated landscape. It has also provided essential fodder for the mainstream art industry.
The G5A mission therefore strongly supports and encourages independent art practice. The Indie Music scene today, is extremely vibrant and innovative and so we’re very excited to be dedicating one day every month that will feature a strong line-up of acts both Indian and international.
Indie Music Thursday will happen at the Black Box, at G5A on the third Thursday of every month during the season
Salon Saturdays
At G5A we are always looking for ways to continue to nurture new ideas and new ways of thinking. We find this works best when we come together and engage with our fellow artists and professionals in our artistic communities and engage in deeper dialogue and conversation. For these more intimate interactions we feel the salon format has the ability to be most conducive. This is why we’re bringing back our Salon Series, a monthly Saturday morning session that we hope will build mutual support, engender vibrant communities, and encourage an inclusive and collaborative ecosystem.
These sessions are meant to bring together professionals from across different experience backgrounds, in order to share their work, their aspirations and their practice. As also to reinforce strengths and better the understanding of not only individual paths, but also larger common goals and the creative eco-system. This would be a safe space for building rigor, and also expand the space for innovative thinking.
The sessions will be conducted by members of the creative community who we feel are best suited to fostering a welcoming, nurturing and participative environment.
Salon Saturdays will happen at the Study, at G5A on the third Saturday of every month during The Season.
Other properties include:
PRO | Sessions
Cinema Screenings
Details coming soon!
