Abhi Singh, an independent filmmaker based in the Mission District, has launched a new film series project titled “Art In Motion” that aims to give a spotlight to artists who are unconventionally trained. Courtesy: Abhi Singh

The financial difficulty of living in the Bay Area has been an issue facing artists for a number of years, and many under the thumb of economic constraints have had to put their artistic passions on hold.

For aspiring artists, this includes not being able to pursue formal training for their art and having to seek alternative sources to perfect their craft. Abhi Singh, an independent filmmaker based in the Mission District, plans to document the stories of performers who train in nontraditional ways, and the hurdles that they endure in order to continue to live and showcase their talent in the Bay Area.

Singh, 41, has launched a new film series project titled “Art In Motion” that aims to give a spotlight to performers and dancers who have been trained outside of the mainstream. With the project, Singh hopes to show the different perspective of each performer.

Additionally, Singh wants the project to give an accurate representation of what the experience is like for aspiring artists in the Bay Area. The term “unconventionally trained” refers to artists who do not have formal education in their art form, their work and skills being molded by nontraditional methods of learning.

“[‘Art In Motion’] sort of also became about what it means to be an artist in the Bay Area where rents are so high. And a lot of the artists who are sort of unconventionally trained are also people who are doing it on top of having a job, or having other sorts of financial constraints,” said Singh. Through his work, he plans to explore how people are pursuing their passion in the Bay Area without the backing of financial institutions.

Abhi Singh debuted “Art In Motion” by featuring Freddy Adrian Madueño, aka “Phazen Fred,” a 10-year-old boy from East San Jose, who began practicing the the “popping” style of hip-hop dancing two years ago. Courtesy: Abhi Singh

Singh debuted “Art In Motion” on May 8, publishing a short video on Freddy Adrian Madueño, aka “Phazen Fred,” a 10-year-old boy from East San Jose, who began practicing the the “popping” style of hip-hop dancing two years ago. In the video, Fred—a member of the popping crew Playboyz Inc.—uses the skills of popping learned from the many mentors he has met in the development of his craft, such as his uncle and his barber Vick “Dizzy” Damone.

“It’s very organic and it’s really interesting to see how he’s developing as an artist. And putting together things that he’s learned from various different people including his uncle who sort of introduced him to this particular type of dance,” said Singh.

The oldest of three children, Fred’s primary supporter is his father, who rises early every day to clock in at 4:30 a.m. as a truck driver. Fred’s father saw popping as a way to steer his oldest child away from gangs in San Jose.

“From what I see with Freddy, he’s taking it real serious. He’s showing me he wants it more. So I have to be [able] to 100 percent support,” said Fred’s father via the Art In Motion profile. “I worry financially, because a lot of dancers struggle financially. We’ve told Freddy, if you’re not doing good in school, there is no dance, there is no popping.”

Singh is searching for more individuals like Fred for his upcoming videos, but is also interested in featuring people who specialize in other performance art forms. Currently a self-funded project, Singh finds time for “Art In Motion” in between his other projects.

Though he’s currently working on multiple film projects, “Art In Motion” remains Singh’s career priority. Singh works with a variety of people in order to make the project possible. The crew that he has varies, but he does most of the shooting and editing by himself. Each project varies in how much time he needs to film, edit and interview.

For Singh, pursuing a career in film began with wanting to tell stories that oftentimes were overlooked. “I wanted to be sort of part of the process of telling stories that I felt were maybe not being very well covered by mainstream media,” said Singh.

But this isn’t Singh’s first time covering the economic struggles of people living in the Bay Area. In 2017, he directed and released a documentary titled “No Vacancy,” which describes and exposes the issues faced by artists in San Francisco, like high rents and gentrification.

Singh attended Stanford University’s Documentary Film and Video Program from 2011 to 2013, earning a masters of fine arts. Singh credits the program, and the critiquing of others there, with helping him shape his perspective on his work.

Besides “Art In Motion,” Singh is working toward a film about San Francisco being a “Sanctuary City.” He is also working on producing a film for a nonprofit in Mongolia about nomadic herders in the south Gobi desert. He has also done work for KQED.