All the raging pit stops

With a populations that's set to reach 25 million (or more) by this year, Mumbai is the city with the second largest urban growth in the world with its people, like anywhere else, looking for that elusive work-leisure balance. The shortage of public spaces in the city has prompted several entrepreneurs to set up cultural hubs for like-minded interactions, intellectual stimulation and some fun too. Several concept stores are transforming themselves into flexible creative zones.

As Parmesh Shahani, founder, Godrej India Culture Lab, says, "People are hungry for intellectual stimulation. A city like ours especially with so much creative energy, and so much innovation happening, needs these hubs, for people to share, and learn together." Here are some cultural spheres that are doing their bit for struggling artists, stressed out office-goers and simply those looking to pursue a hobby or a passion.

Godrej India Culture Lab (GICL)
Established to "create a new kind of change agent for India that can make boundaries disappear", Vikhroli-based GICL helps bring together people from various sectors across contemporary India with events that range from talks and conferences to performances and pop-up art experiences. It hosts programmes that are free and open to the public, "thus creating a Lab that is a free resource for the entire city".
Question founder Parmesh Shahani on whether he referred to an existing model and he responds, "When I founded the lab in 2011, I referred to the previous think tank that I had managed at MIT - the Convergence Culture Consortium - for inspiration. However, over the course of four years, we have created a very unique model at our lab, that I don't think exists anywhere else in the world." Though the space is completely funded by Godrej, it also collaborates with other partners who have the same vision for creating "interdisciplinary conversations".
Up next is a talk and musical performance by Sunita Bhuyan on June 12. Fulbright scholar Jeff Roy from the US will also be visiting the Lab in June. He will be working on his project that covers issues of gender and sexuality in Mumbai. In July, GICL will host renowned digital media guru Dr Henry Jenkins, who will be a visiting professor through the month.
More info on: www.indiaculturelab.org and Twitter @indiaculturelab.

Sitara Studio
Set up in 1997 in response to the TV boom, Sitara Studio has moved on from just being a film/TV studio. The Elphinstone space has hosted several major events, including the youth theatre festival Thespo and music gigs. Besides, there are aerial dance and zumba classes multiple times a week. There is also a dedicated jam room, where bands and musicians can practice.
Says Vice President Nikhil Henrajani, "In mid-2012, we had to cater to Mumbai's burgeoning arts scene, be it art, music, theatre, film or dance. We have kept the growth organic, observing what people want and what succeeds at our venue, rather than imposing our views." Discussing the demand for alternative spaces in the city, Henrajani says his is the "first independent - i.e. not backed by investors/institutions - cultural venue in Mumbai". The aim, he adds, is to cater to diverse audiences across age, aesthetic and economic backgrounds.
"We plan to take greater curatorial interest-especially hosting a programme of activities promoting local and regional arts. We plan to engage much more in community strengthening activities, bringing diverse pockets of people together."
More info on: http://www.sitarastudio.in/ or facebook https://www.facebook.com/sitarastudio

The Hive
Co-founder Sharin Bhatti describes the Bandra-based hub as "an urban centre for the arts and technology, spread over three floors and 4,500 square feet in the heart of Bandra".
"We are a one-of-a-kind ecosystem with integrated state-of-the art facilities that supports performance spaces (with one indoor and one outdoor area), a recording studio, a workshop and seminar space, and co-working and collaborative offices for start-ups and entrepreneurs called Collab, and an organic cafe called The Hungry Traveller," says Bhatti. Her partner Sudeip Nair adds that The Hive is, in its current form, "still at only 30 per cent of the whole concept".
The Hive, which conducts one of India's most followed and longest running open mic night, The Big Mic, not only helps facilitate workshops (fitness and wellness, dramatic readings to creative arts) but also curates some amazing shows. Next up is a plan to build a 100-seater performance space within the Hive venue. "We are all about the spirit of collaboration and we provide a safe space for various communities to come and engage in multiple activities at The Hive. We are all about creating communities," says Bhatti.
From June 26-28, it will be hosting a theatre festival called It's All About Theatre.
More info on: facebook https://www.facebook.com/alivehive.

Tranceforme
A home décor store spread across 5,000 sq ft, situated at the Laxmi Mills Estate, Mahalaxmi, Tranceforme was launched in 2000 by musician Purvi Parikh and architect Samira Rathod. It was Parikh's interest in all things? design—art, furniture and other visually creative? sectors -- that eventually moulded Tranceforme?. It provides a platform to different artists, painters, sculptors, textile designers, fashion designers and others to showcase their work.
Parikh emphasises, "Events at Tranceforme haven't always been restricted to home decor. They extend to fashion, food, book launches and musical evenings too. The idea was to create a hub where people could access different things at the same place, thus allowing them to experience the space in a new way."
From book launches (Shikhandi by mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik) to contemporary dance performances and even a Sufi musical evening by Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, Tranceforme is a zone where both business and culture coalesce.