2018 saw a flurry of startups in every lifestyle sector, be it food, fashion, wellness, beauty and more. Bengaluru is always buzzing with activity and there’s always something new and innovative with myriad choices to pick from. Many promising new ventures set shop in the city this year. Here’s a lowdown on some of them that left us impressed hands down…
BY NAMITA GUPTA
What’s it about? We were a café a few years back and with Jaga being there, there was a good influx of creative people coming in and we saw the potential that an informal place like this can provide to creative communities. And with some food thrown in always makes for a great space hence the idea for The Courtyard. Since this is a new idea and we are still experimenting, there are no models to follow. It’s been very interesting and encouraging to see how the place has been accepted. We might be an Arts and Culture space, but we aren’t a foundation or an institution which means we have to work on our own finances.
Lady behind the making: Akhila Srinivas, is the force behind The Courtyard, Bengaluru. Being an architect and urban designer by education, she always had a keen interest in the role of urban spaces in culture and community. The Courtyard is one such project where she uses space as a culture catalyst. The vision for the space is to eventually provide a home for creative communities of Bengaluru city root themselves at The Courtyard.
What’s unique? The space itself. We are bang in the middle of a crazy road like KH Road and it’s still very open and green. Also, we seem to be attracting all the right kind of crowd in the Arts and Culture space that gives us a niche edge. The events we host are not the usual events that you find in any other restaurant or bar or any other event space. It is a highly curated list and you will see that the events are all very offbeat and well curated.
Plans ahead: To keep the momentum going, to make it grow from here and not lose the reason why we started this. For us to become an Iconic Cultural Space. Somewhere down the line I would love to be able to support artistes, financially or otherwise. By artistes I mean anybody who is creative. I don’t know when but at least in the next few years, we should be able to do it.
Where: The Courtyard, 105, KH Road (Lalbagh Double Road), Opp. Corporation Bank, Shanti Nagar, Bengaluru. Call: 080 4012 4484, 7338677996.
