Modelled as an Urban Living Lab, the 20,000 sqft Bangalore Creative Circus houses a vibrant art hub, sound room, museum, food forest, art gallery, store, artist residence, live events arena, and a farm-to-table bistro that puts nature and nutrition first.
Bangalore Creative Circus (BCC) was founded in 2019 to stimulate community connections and inspire a regenerative culture that cares for the planet. It is namma Bengaluru's biggest platform for collaboration in art, science, climate action, and sustainability.
Modelled as an Urban Living Lab, BCC houses a vibrant art hub, sound room, museum, food forest, art gallery, store, artist residence, live events arena, and a farm-to-table bistro that puts nature and nutrition first.
Inspired by the documentary, Before the Flood, Ajay Raghavan, along with co-founders Manisha Vinod and Alok Agarwal, conceptualised this one-of-a-kind destination to raise awareness about climate change, sustainability, and the environment.
These collaborative initiatives fuse under the roof of a 20,000 sqft old warehouse in the Yeshwanthpur Industrial Area that earlier served as a steel factory and a tile stockyard. Team BCC walked the talk, transforming this massive site into an urban design hub almost entirely using recycled and repurposed materials.
You get the drift when you notice an imposing seahorse hanging from the ceiling, welded out of abandoned aircon ducts, wires, and metal. Further ahead in the lush garden, Siddharth Lakshman, the in-house permaculture expert, demonstrates solutions ranging from aquaponics, hydroponics, and rainwater harvesting.
Ecological building blocks showcase the use of mud building, passive lighting, cooling, and waste management. Lakshman 'Anna', who has spent almost 40 years on the premises, is now playing an integral role in the sustainable development movement at BCC.
At the heart of BCC is The Circus Canteen, a bistro that nurtures a deep passion for sustainability with ethically sourced ingredients and a sensorial dining experience imbued with slow and mindful processes.
The quirky interior decor here defies symmetry with artsy furniture and wall pieces crowd-sourced and repurposed from waste materials. The kitchen produces zero waste; the wet waste is used on-site to make compost, bio-pesticides, and bio enzyme natural cleaners.
A large part of chef Nayantara Bagla’s seasonal menu is plant-based. Her team ensures the nutrient-rich food is cooked fresh for every order with seasonal produce grown in their gardens or sourced from local farmers.
Some of the current specials include The Epic 3 Bean Burger, The Canteen Koshambari, Bangalore Style Millet Donne Biryani, Chicken Skewered on Sugarcane, Tofu and Garden Green Stir Fry, and Sabudana Kaapi Coconut Pudding.
You can make a lovely day out with family and friends at this mindful space by attending cultural performances, learning sessions, farmers’ markets, co-working, grabbing a coffee, or simply providing a helping hand as a volunteer.
A peek into the event calendar reveals workshops on theatre, kombucha brewing and gut health, skateboarding, breakdancing, sound meditation, aerial silks, yoga, interactive magic and mentalism, movie screenings and discussions on mitigating climate change.
Fact File
www.blrcreativecircus.com: Tuesday to Sunday 11 am to 7 pm
The Circus Canteen: 11 am to 10.30 pm
Co-working: 9 am to 10.30 pm
(The writer is a Bengaluru-based hospitality professional, food lover and travel enthusiast)