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Kerala / The New Indian Express

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Building a home for art in the city

Community, for Ananthapadmanabhan V, was a concept he became familiar with very early in life by watching his mother. When they were in Dubai, she was involved in different community activities, helping women in difficult situations return home, supporting small charities for animals, and organising simple fundraising events like school bake sales. He often assisted her in these efforts, and over time, this exposure influenced how he viewed people, support systems, and collective responsibility. After returning to his hometown and taking up photography, he realised that the values he learned in childhood were still driving the way he looked at the world. When I was working as a photographer, any event that was connected to a community, I would do it for free because I liked the concept, he says. But he also began noticing that in Thiruvananthapuram, dedicated communities for artists were few. The city had musicians, dancers, poets, visual artists, photographers, and many talented individuals, but they were scattered and lacked a shared space to meet, collaborate, and grow. I wanted to create a community where everybody could come, connect, collaborate, perform, and grow, the 29-year-old said. This thinking led to the creation of The Ark Art, Rhythm and Collective. He explains that many emerging artists hesitate to step forward because they do not know the right people. Someone constantly posting music videos online may never meet instrumentalists who could collaborate with them. My goal is to give upcoming artists visibility, opportunities, and a supportive group of people who share the same creative energy. Basically, I want to create an ecosystem for artists to create good memories, Ananthapadmanabhan adds. Although the idea has been in his mind for a long time, he has been actively working on it for about a month. To get started, he personally contacted around 100 artists across the city. About 3035 responded, forming the initial foundation of the group. A band has already formed from within this early pool. Another challenge artists in Thiruvananthapuram face, he says, is the lack of accessible venues. Even well-established groups often spend significant amounts just to organise a meet-up. To address this, The Ark has taken up Ambalathil Hall at Ambalamukku and is converting it into a creative community space - something closer to an art caf than a traditional club. The venue can host around 300 people, and the initial goal is to organise at least four different events or host four different creative communities every month. The idea is to create a common umbrella for the many artistic communities in the city. The Arks first open mic will be held on December 7 at that space, with more than 25 upcoming artists set to perform, including over 10 instrumentalists, a Bharatanatyam showcase, and several singers. So, people know that a new community is opening and they are all welcome, he says. Another programme is being planned for December 14, featuring a dance and rap battle. These kinds of events usually push artists to travel to Kochi or other cities. I want them to happen here, so people dont have to leave the city to find opportunities, he said. For updates, follow @the_ark_tvm on Instagram.

26 Nov 2025 12:05 pm