Workshop: The Suzuki Method & the Six Viewpoints by Akhshay Gandhi

Kaivalya Plays and NIV Art Centre present

The Suzuki Method  & the Six Viewpoints

by Akhshay Gandhi

A 6-hour intensive workshop blending Suzuki's discipline with Viewpoints' collaboration to explore body-mind connection through composition—ideal for experienced actors, dancers, directors, and performers seeking deeper physical awareness.

🗓️ Friday August 15th 3pm to 9pm

📍 NIV Art Center Saket (near IGNOU)

🎟️ INR 1499/- per participant

About the Workshop:

The workshop will introduce the participants to these two contemporary performance practices from two seemingly opposite worlds to create a meeting point within the body-mind. The Suzuki Method offers a rigorous vertical performance discipline and The Viewpoints practice suggests a horizontal collaborative framework. The session will culminate with the process of composition to embody some of the performance principles and techniques.

The Suzuki Method is a rigorous physical and vocal discipline for performers, created by renowned theater artist Tadashi Suzuki and his company. The method is designed to regain the perceptive abilities and powers of the body/voice instrument. Drawing on a unique combination of traditional and innovative forms, the training strives to restore the wholeness of the body as a tool of theatrical expression. The training is also designed as an entry into the metaphysical invisible world of the artist. Focus, concentration, rich inner fiction and energy are measured and made visible. It is a training in presence, deepening one’s relationship to the sensation of performance.

The Viewpoints is a performance language that articulates specific elements of time and space and emboldens practitioners to generate strong theatrical work spontaneously and intuitively. The Six Viewpoints by Mary Overlie and Nine viewpoints as articulated by Anne Bogart and the SITI Company are powerful tools to build ensembles, expand possibilities in rehearsal, or generate new work. Through rigorous training in improvisation and composition the Viewpoints extend possibilities in the quality and range of the performer and the ensemble. A post-modern practice, completely horizontal and free from structure, demanding artists to be fluid, open and flexible. Providing such horizontality creates a safe & intuitive space for artists to discover one's own aesthetic, one's own structure and brings the capabilities like voice, imagination, story etc to create the performance.

Key Takeaways:

1. Participants will be able to incorporate some ideas and techniques in their practice.

2. Establishing & re-establishing connection between body-mind-imagination

3. Physical, Vocal & Textual techniques directly addressing everyday practical challenges of a performer.

4. Offering Time & Space framework for collaborative creation process.

5. Improvisational & Compositional tools for imagining content existing & devised.

6. Tools for building ensembles.

About The Facilitator

Akhshay Gandhi is an Actor, Director & Storyteller. He is a SITI Company (NYC) ambassador, visiting faculty at Lalit Kala Kendra & Drama School Mumbai. He has been artist-in-residence at Gesseneralle, Zurich (with TENT School), Indian Dramaturgy Network (Bangalore) and fellow at BeFanastic Within (in Art & AI). He has received his formal theatre training at SITI Company (New York), Odin Theatre Laboratory, (Denmark) and Indian Ensemble (Bangalore). His work has been performed at prestigious venues & festivals including, Stanford University (California), UCLA, Columbia University (NYC), Odin Teatret (Denmark), NCPA (Mumbai), Serendipity Arts Festival (Goa), KNMA (Delhi) to name a few. Some key accomplishments include, a TEDx talk, IATC Conference Paper, Tata Scholar Grant, BITSAA 30u30 award and panelist on Serendipity folk art grant. His recent work includes, Epic (for NCPA Connections), Manthan (collaboration with Mohiniyattam dancer, Divya), Moin & the Monster (A magical surreal play for children), IT IS WHAT IT IS (collab with media artist, Gaurav Singh Nijjer), The Kaavad Project (continual revival effort of kaavad tradition), Gretel (Jagriti Production), Bhakti: A dance production (as dramaturg), Bloom (with Diya Naidu as dramaturg). He is currently writing his next play, In Place Of (A play intersecting Memory, Violence & Art).

About Kaivalya Plays

Kaivalya Plays is a performing arts and production company led by Varoon P. Anand as its Artistic Director and Gaurav Singh Nijjer as its General Manager. Since 2012, they have built transcultural associations across India and the world. Their artistic work includes original, devised theatre performances that are multilingual, interactive, and hybrid, use technology and media on stage, and are built using techniques of improvisational, documentary, and physical theatre. Through a focus on education, training and community, their work spans diverse offerings of programs across artistic development, language learning, mental health, gender, accessibility, and transcultural collaboration. They have received multiple artistic commissions and grants through their collaborations with Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi, Goethe Institut Delhi, MediaFutures and other cultural partners. Their recent artistic work includes I, Josef (2024), The Pillowman (2024) ABSURDO (2023), Mining Hate (2023), Funes The Memorious (2021), Lifeline 99 99 (2021), Unravel (2019), amongst others. Most recently, they were awarded the Creativity Pioneers Fund 2023 by the Moleskine Foundation. Read more about their work on www.kaivalyaplays.org

About NIV Art Centre

NIV Art Centre, located on the southern edge of New Delhi near the picturesque Aravalli hills, is a creative hub dedicated to advancing plastic arts and new media arts while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural exchange. Providing facilities like artist studios, galleries, theatres, and residencies, it serves as a platform for emerging and established artists to create, exhibit, and engage with audiences. NIV focuses on bridging gaps between creators, distributors, and consumers, supporting artists from underserved regions, and promoting contemporary art practices through a blend of traditional studio disciplines and modern global influences. With a commitment to nurturing creativity and building a legacy for the future, NIV creates opportunities for artistic growth and broader public engagement with art.