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Gender Bender, initiated in 2015, is a first-of-its-kind, arts-centric festival in South Asia celebrating fresh perspectives on gender.
A joint project between Sandbox Collective and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore, Gender Bender has, over the years, become an important destination for artists and audiences alike; also for anyone interested in or curious about the intersection of art and gender. Intended to enable and further the discourse, it not only awards grants through an open call and showcases the works of the grantees, but also hosts a three-day festival that includes curated performances, talks, and workshops. All events at Gender Bender are free and open to all.
Gender Bender brings together diverse audiences across age, class, and other social realities to converse on concerns of gender and sexuality. This is a feat in itself since such conversations are popularly only relegated to the urban youth. 96 grants have been awarded over the last nine editions, and over 1500 artists have been hosted at Gender Bender, with over 40% of the grants being awarded to people from marginalized communities; the festival has also become a space claimed and occupied by artists from graded inequalities.
Over the years we have worked with support from our founding partner the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore but as the festival has grown in size and scope, we need more funds to make it happen. We have been on the verge of considering closing the festival. However, considering the thousands of audience members who look forward to this festival as one of the few spaces that welcomes and celebrates plurality and diversity, we have taken the decision to ask for public support to make the tenth edition of the festival possible.
So for the first time (and hopefully for the last) we seek your help to keep the festival running this year and going forward and to welcome more artists, grantees, speakers, and audience members. Your donation ensures that this year’s Gender Bender becomes a reality.
As a token of appreciation and gratitude, there will be a digital wall with the names of all the donors at the 10th edition of Gender Bender to be held between the 27- 30 November 2024.
Gender Bender brings together diverse audiences across age, class, and other social realities to converse on concerns of gender and sexuality. This is a feat in itself since such conversations are popularly only relegated to the urban youth. 96 grants have been awarded over the last nine editions, and over 1500 artists have been hosted at Gender Bender, with over 40% of the grants being awarded to people from marginalized communities; the festival has also become a space claimed and occupied by artists from graded inequalities.
Over the years we have worked with support from our founding partner the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore but as the festival has grown in size and scope, we need more funds to make it happen. We have been on the verge of considering closing the festival. However, considering the thousands of audience members who look forward to this festival as one of the few spaces that welcomes and celebrates plurality and diversity, we have taken the decision to ask for public support to make the tenth edition of the festival possible.
So for the first time (and hopefully for the last) we seek your help to keep the festival running this year and going forward and to welcome more artists, grantees, speakers, and audience members. Your donation ensures that this year’s Gender Bender becomes a reality.
As a token of appreciation and gratitude, there will be a digital wall with the names of all the donors at the 10th edition of Gender Bender to be held between the 27- 30 November 2024.
THE SANDBOX COLLECTIVE STORY
Sandbox Collective is a women-led organization that works at the intersection of art and gender. We started in 2013 with the motive of creating better access to the arts. Our journey thus far has seen us take on multiple roles, including that of creative producers, curators, and presenters of performances and arts festivals across India and internationally.
We currently run a small studio in Bangalore, Studio 345, a joint initiative with the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore. Studio 345 is an intimate, creative, gathering space that is our attempt at an alternative neighborhood hub for the arts. The studio hosts a feminist library and each month we invite artists and collectives to exhibit their work and engage with audiences. We also host workshops, classes, and events centered around language, books, literature, and publishing. All events at Studio 345 are free and open to all.
Our hope and dream is to work towards a compassionate and gentler world with more community-led art spaces where artists work for, and with, each other.
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