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October Jam is an open-to-all festival of arts

This month Theatre Jam hosts a whole month of events to inspire the city community to give vent to its creative streak. Theatre Jam is a space for people to assert individual expression. Taking cue from the same, the October Jam Month celebrates a year's anniversary of everything that conjures up art, aiming to draw in more of the community and expand the creative movement. The month aims to unite music, performance, theatre and visual arts for collaboration.

October Jam opening ritual

Workshop on activist theatre by Pandies theatre, at Cubbon Park

What to expect
All sorts of events have been and will be taking place across Bangalore this month. If anyone has a message they would like to put across to the community or a story to tell, Jam Month is the place to do so. You can bring along anything be it a song, installation, dance, ideas, tricks, and painting for instance. Which ever form of media suites best, Jam Month allows you to establish your own space. Most of the activities are taking place in a variety of different venues and spaces across town such as streets, public parks, terraces, basements and markets.

The week that went by
Last Sunday, the jam took place at the Nanda Park. Using this space worked proficiently because people who were not initially part of the group and were relaxing in the green lawns became intrigued by the event and joined in to watch. The day before that on Saturday, a student group from the department of Pondicherry Performing Arts, were at a theatre workshop at the Samuha Gallery. The group came to work with local theatre artists in Bangalore. Together they devised three improvisations, which were then performed later at the Theatre Jam.

More than meets the eye
Last week also saw a workshop from the Pandas, a theatre youth group with average ages of 18 to 19 years who come together to discuss and deal with a range of social issues. Ekta Mittal, co-founder of the media collective Maraa, which hosts Jam Month commented that, Jam Month is, "Challenging but fascinating. It is not easy to have everyone participating because we are working with moving audiences." However, she re-iterates the importance of trying to explore the community outside of the Theatre Jam workspace.

Shutterbugs let loose
Future events will see photographers letting themselves loose at Shivaji Nagar, click what fascinates them and then print out pictures and post them up around the Shivajinagar market for public viewing. Photography continues throughout the week, Mittal tells us, "People might want to take cameras, explore the market, talk to other photographers to figure things out."

What's on today
Today, (Tuesday) a film will be shown at 6.30pm called Arna's Children. This is a documentary about a children's theatre group in Jenin, Palestine who uses acting in schools to beet conflict. The film shares the same meaning that the Jam Month events aim to put across to the public, the significance being that group work and sharing are vital to help fabricate innovative and momentous works. Deepak Srinivasan who also works at Maraa, tells us that on October 17, Jam Month will be celebrating through a different medium, "People will be singing songs all night, rather than in the traditional noisy way on the streets, it's an alternative sort of celebration."

Jam month events calendar
Installation/Exhibition: Nagara Chitra
Wednesday, Oct 14 – Friday Oct 16, 3 PM onwards
Photography display in market at Shivajinagar market
4 by 4
Wednesday, Oct 14- Friday Oct 16, 4 PM onwards

Song Crackers
Saturday Oct 17, 6 pm onwards
Sing, play, share your favourite music and songs at Maraa,  7, 8th Main, III phase, Domlur 2nd Stage
Simplee Pose Maadi Saar
Sat Oct 17– Sun Oct 18, 12 noon onwards

Explore Johnson Market with your camera at Johnson Market
Nagara Chitra 
Monday Oct 19- Fri Oct 23, 12 noon onwards
Photography display of Simplee Pose Maadi Saar and any other pictures at Johnson Market

Poetry night
Mon Oct 19, 5:30 PM
Read, recite and perform your poems at Select Book Store, 71, Brigade Road, Cross, Brigade Road

Gandhi Class
Tuesday Oct 20, 6 PM
Supermen of Malegaon, a community feature film from Malegaon by Faiza Ahmed followed by discussion at Jaaga, Opposite Hockey Stadium (Main Gate), Shantinagar

City specks: Mapping Memories
Wednesday Oct 21 at 5:30 PM
Ramchandran, an antique store dealer's stories at Curiocity. Behind Russel Market, Taj Hotel, Old Poor House (OPH Road)

Story of the Storyteller
Friday 22 Oct at 6:30 PM
Talk by Lawrence Liang followed by stories that you can tell at  Alternative Law Forum, Infantry Road, Opposite
Infantry Wedding Hall
Music Jam
Saturday Oct 24 at 6:30 PM
Bring your instruments and songs and jam at Jaaga, Opposite Hockey Stadium (Main Gate), Shantinagar

Storytelling on a park bench
Friday Oct 23 at 5:30 PM
Stories about love, relationships and sexuality at Cubbon Park

Theatre workshop: storytelling
Saturday Oct 24 at 10 AM – 3 PM at Cubbon Park, Rocks, near Queen Victoria's Statue.
Simplee Pose Maadi Saar
Saturday Oct 24 – Sunday Oct 25 at 12 noon onwards
Explore KR Market with your camera at KR Market

Theatre Jam
Sunday Oct 25, 11:00 AM onwards
Theatre, Music, Dance, Song and Art at Cubbon Park
Nagara chitra
Monday Oct 26 – Friday Oct 30, 12 noon onwards

Photography display of Simplee Pose Maadi Saar and any other pictures at KR Market
Bagair Ijazat (without permission) on Thursday Oct 29 at 5 pm
Reading of Sadat Hassan Manto's stories at Jaaga, Opposite Hockey Stadium, (Main Gate), Shanthinagar

Short Film Screenings
Friday Oct 30 at 6 pm
Screening of short films by independent film makers
followed by discussion at Jaaga, Opposite Hockey Stadium (Main Gate), Shantinagar

Clown Theatre
Saturday, Oct 31 at 5 pm
Clown Theatre Performances at  Stairs opposite Premier Book Store
Ghost story night
Sunday Oct 31 at 6.30 pm
Share all the horrifying ghost stories you grew up with at Stairs opposite (Late) Premier Book Shop, Museum Road