An event at Medai, Coimbatore. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For anyone following the cultural scene in Chennai, the Tamil word medai holds much more significance than its literal meaning, stage. Launched in 2021, Medai pioneered the concept of black box theater – a completely black space with a square, adjustable seating area. Directed by lighting designer Charles B., the 125-seater became a convergence point for performing arts spanning multiple genres. About a month ago, Medai opened a new location in Coimbatore, the inaugural show of which was attended by film critic Baradwaj Rangan. With this new location – his third after Chennai and Bengaluru – Charles is testing the waters in the city.
Sanjay Subramanian at Medai Coimbatore | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Over the phone from Visakhapatnam, where he is busy handling lighting for a tech show, Charles shares his plans for Coimbatore and what inspired him to start his own cultural space. “I have visited Coimbatore occasionally. I could sense that there was a void here in terms of cultural experiences outside of shopping malls and multiplexes. It’s time, Charles said, for the city to have its own performance venue. That’s exactly what Medai brings to the city – a professional performance space with built-in, state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. “Right now, this is something you get only in metros. We hope to carry this trend forward in Coimbatore.”
The space taken on lease at Medai’s Coimbatore location at Clusters Media College, Kamaraj Road, is the largest so far, with a seating capacity of 200 people. Although set within the Clusters campus, Medai functions independently as a cultural space, with Charles calling the shots.
In its Coimbatore avatar, Medai is taking measured steps to understand the pulse of the local audience. “We’re looking to fill the slots with shows from up-and-coming artists as well as occasional performances from big names.” Shows are also curated according to audience reactions. In addition to hosting performances from out-of-town artists, Charles also hopes to reach out to local talent.
Charles B. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
When they first launched in Chennai in 2021, it was to address a gap in the city’s cultural landscape. “Cultural venues in Chennai often restrict themselves to a particular stream – classical dance and music at sabhas, modern theater shows at the Alliance Française, etc. You never had a place that could bring it all together,” he adds.
He also decided that MEDI would be completely self-financed. This meant renting space for workshops and photoshoots during the day and staging shows in the evening. While this deprived Medai of large corporate sponsors, it also freed the venue from censorship.
It was a gamble that paid off. Less than two years after opening Medai in Chennai’s Alwarpet area, Charles took his initiative to Koramangala in Bengaluru, where he replicated his success, proving that cultural entrepreneurship can be a self-sustaining business. But when it comes to renting out space, Charles focuses solely on arts-related events.
While the Bengaluru and Chennai regions have shows four days a week, the Coimbatore region, as of now, has two shows a week during weekends. “In Bengaluru and Chennai, tickets are sold out in no time. Such audiences are always ready to pay for it. In this respect, Coimbatore is still yet to catch up. Even for a show by an established artiste like Sanjay Subramaniam, we struggled to cross 120 seats.
Medai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
However, he hopes the city will develop an interest in such places in its own sweet time. “As long as you keep trying, the audience will grow over time.”
Apart from the performance, Charles also hopes to make Medai a venue for poetry readings and book launches. With access to a large pool of talent across the country, they have no shortage of ideas to choose from, and the presence of a place like this can only enrich the city culturally.
The cluster is located inside Media College, Peelamedu. For details, call 8903550118
published – December 18, 2024 03:06 PM IST
