G5A Celebrates A Milestone Year

The ideas of G5A have been evolving, subconsciously, for the Founder and Artistic director Anuradha Parikh for many years and formally from 2013, when it was registered as a Section 25 (not for profit) company. But it's safe to say that the intent and conviction that such a space must exist, has been building for over a decade.

Registering G5A as a Section 25 company was a conscious choice. G5A was always meant to be a space for the community, artists, professionals, practitioners, experimenters alike.

The G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture is present in three ecosystems: the physical, the neighbourhood, and the digital. The G5A Warehouse represents the physical; G5A cityLAB represents our efforts in the neighborhood; and our newly launched website represents the digital.

Looking back at her journey with G5A so far, Parikh shares, "I have been greatly touched and humbled by the overwhelming response we've had since opening our doors in November 2015. Of course, the real work is only just beginning. It is only now that we've finally gotten a team together that is up for the challenge and is able to see the larger map. We are now able to confidently take the time to be proactive in our approach to the calendar, the arts, and the city."

She shares her vision, "For The Warehouse, I felt it was important for us to have people see, use, and be in the space. So, for the first three years or some, we operated more like a receiving house, rather than a curating and producing body. After having worked with a variety of great collaborators, it is now the right time to bring the calendar to you in the best way we're able to. With G5A Zero period & G5A Season already in place, we will be rolling out a few other properties that will be part of the G5A Season, as well as online through the digital space, that will allow audiences, artists, and funders, to share in the bigger picture of what G5A is all about: a safe space for experimentation, for expression, and for collaboration; for New Ideas, New Conversations, New Communities!"

On a parting note, Parikh adds, "I feel as excited as when we were starting G5A, to continue this journey with all my fellow co-travellers! Welcome to G5A 2.0."

G5A Properties:
1. The Calendar Concept - Evolving a working structure of how we plan, program, curate, (and soon, produce!)
2. The G5A Zero Period - Taking inspiration from the zero show and the zero periods we had in school, we would like to dedicate time in the year for experimentation and exploration.
3. 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 in the G5A season:
Performance Long Runs - During the G5A Season, we will present four performances that will all have a long run. Like much of the 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.

Monthly:
Every third week of the month, we will have a series of recurring programs:
1. Projects | Process
2. Salon Saturdays
3. Indie Music Thursday (IMT)
4. Cinema @ G5A (Details coming soon)
5. PRO | Sessions (Details coming soon)
6. G5A cityLAB