Art shows get up close and personal at affordable rates in Pune

Sitting just a few feet away from the artist using their talent to wow you is the new kind of intimate performance experience being made available. Add to this the option of viewing concerts and plays for the price of a cup of bougie coffee, and it's a difficult deal to refuse.The recently launched Art@300 initiative has till date hosted a classical music concert, a thought-provoking play and a niche rock music performance in a single and cozy space, providing an entertainment venue encompassing various genres.One performance has taken place on a chosen Saturday in each of the first three months of 2025 — the play ‘Vanva', Vineet Alurkar's jazz band, and Nikhil Patwardhan's soulful sitar renditions — all at the Samarchana School of Dance studio on Prabhat Road.The programme is a venture of Samarchana studio, managed by Vyom Arts. The latter's founder, Shruti Ranade, explained, "Seeing good artists is often expensive and there is hardly ever a chance to interact with the performer. We are trying to change this and make performance art available to more strata of society.""Further, we want audiences to more actively engage with art forms they don't usually opt for. Offering a chance to view these at prices that are easy on the pocket is the first step of the process," she added.Shivam Panchbhai, director of Vanva, told TOI that chances like this are of vital importance to experimental theatre. "Seeing our audience's reactions up close and personal is a different ball game. The ability to have a discussion after the play is liberating. Only small spaces offer this — big auditoriums are not conducive to audience interaction as the distance between performers and spectators is too much," he said.Anjali Raju co-founder of Samarchana studio, said, "We want to make art of different genres available to people in an intimate setting. It helps build a community that truly connects, to release stress and to appreciate new art forms. It also brings together artists of different disciplines to communicate, learn from each other and grow."The pilot round of Art@300 has enjoyed a positive response, and the team is already curating its next list of artists. Season pass holder Dr Ashwini Bhosale said the experience gave her a chance to dive into the nuances of every performance she attended. "The connection you form with the artist at close quarters is the biggest plus point. You can see their slightest movement and that changes the overall impact of their performance. I attended all three events, and each left me feeling fulfilled and glad that I decided to attend. Each art form was presented with a unique perspective. Gaining such exposure is a must for all," the forensic expert told TOI.Ranade added that their goal is to garner mass appeal. "It is an acquired taste to attend an event stripped of its glamour, which makes both the artists and audience vulnerable to one another. Be it a dance or music show, one can see every move the artists make, every breath they take — I feel this adds a different layer to the experience," Ranade said."This is also an opportunity for us to contribute to this city's rich cultural fabric and build a community where remuneration for artists is fair, while simultaneously ensuring that the audience is satisfied. All our shows were ‘housefull' ones — this demonstrates the appeal of such collectives. Now, we hope more venues are willing to curate these experiences," she added.