Project 560

This programme was closed in 2016.

Project 560 between 2014-2018 was an artistic quest initiated by IFA to recode the city of Bangalore through performances. Bangalore has always been a cosmopolitan city that has embraced diverse artistic and cultural expressions to make meanings of its existence and relation to the world, amidst the chaos of daily urban life of its individuals and communities. Home to avant-garde works straddling literature, visual and performing arts, and new media and digital art, Bangalore’s artistic exuberance continues to explore the city’s many layered being – its struggles, conflicts and aspirations – nurtured by artists, institutions and neighbourhoods. This special initiative came from our desire to engage with a city that had nurtured and supported us for two decades. The idea was to encourage artists to creatively engage with non-proscenium found spaces in Bangalore, reimagine them, and bring them alive through performance. The event featured a series of conversations with artists from Bangalore who received grants from IFA for their projects; a panel discussion with experts from the field; and multi-disciplinary performances and installations, across the city.

In 2013-14, grants to six Bangalore-based artists/ artist groups were made. These projects developed into performances that were showcased at the Project 560 festival, held in the latter half of 2014.

The second edition of Project 560 in 2015-16 saw six Bangalore-based artists/ artist groups receiving support. IFA partnered with Citi India to engage with the city through the Project 560 festival, held in December 2015; and the events leading up to the festival, including curated walks and artistic interventions for selected projects, between September and November 2015.