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CHILDREN
This section of KGAF encourages kids to walk into the fantastical world of activities and stories. Under the umbrella of Children’s Literature at Kitab Khana, a child on wheels can be a hero and so can the queen of Kashmir. As part of Children’s Workshops, kids interested in channelising their inner creator, we have sessions on topics as varied as the art of fantasy writing, illustrating and clowning too at the CSMVS Museum lawns. Children and young adults are encouraged to indulge in their creative side as they paint, create, read, write, have fun and learn. Visual Art installations in the Museum lawns by children are a major attraction.
CINEMA
Visitors’ Centre at CSMVS transforms into a mini theatre that attract cinephiles for a movie experience like no other. From hard-hitting documentaries to entertaining Bollywood flicks, the cinema section has it all. Heavyweights of the film industry including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Boman Irani, Ramesh Sippy, Farah Khan, Rajkumar Rao, Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan etc. have graced the stage for panel discussions on cinema, that have enthralled audiences.
DANCE
The Dance section signifies youthfulness, a desire to explore and a desire to fulfill dreams, in keeping with the kinesthetic energy of dance. A multitude of performances from across the length and breadth of our rich cultural tapestry are strung together to create an evening to sit back and enjoy all forms of dance. Evenings at the festival will juxtapose India’s traditional dance forms with contemporary steps, both being performed and enjoyed by all ages.
FOOD
Our Food section is dedicated to all things delicious with a series of master-chef workshops highlighting different cuisines, food walks held on the weekend that showcase hidden gems in the area. Many neighbouring restaurants showcase a special KGAF themed menu with unique dishes curated for the festival that are different from their regular ones.
HERITAGE WALKS
Kala Ghoda was once the nerve centre of Mumbai. Our walks start from different points in the Fort – Colaba precinct and end at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. Curated walks for nine days are designed with themes that link the old with the new, bringing the past into stark relief against the future. These walks, and heritage bus tours are a delight to experience and will help you understand the ethos of this amazing sub-precinct using narratives at different locations along the way.
LITERATURE
Writing, reading, and generation of ideas through Literature will carry the audience from the whirling energies of the Festival into the quiet sanctum of the garden courtyard at the David Sassoon Library. The Children’s Literature sessions are held at Kitab Khana.
MUSIC
The Music section brings together people who share a common language. Our music line-up explores different genres and gives a stage to popular artists as well as folk musicians who have enthralled audiences in equal measure. Listen to the sounds of the master playing his sitar under a canopy of stars, on a stage lined by trees and backed by heritage buildings, at the Cross Maidan.
PROGRAMME | music.kgaf@gmail.com
STALLS
The craft stalls at the festival have always been a shopper’s delight. Year after year small scale entrepreneurs and local artisans have showcased their creativity through clothes, bags, shoes, home décor items and more. To add to this, Terra Ghoda (Potters’ Market at Kala Ghoda) and authentic regional food delicacies turn Rampart Row, Cooperage Bandstand and CSMVS (The Museum) Lawns into a bustling hub for the nine days of the festival.
STAND UP COMEDY
The standup comedy section brings to you an array of comic voices from the city, giving a nod to topics that capture popular imagination. Upcoming comics take stage alongside seasoned ones promising a laugh riot… come fall in love with comedy.
STREET
Over the course of the Festival, Cooperage Bandstand showcases talent from all genres – folk, contemporary and classical, across disciplines. Cooperage also houses Terra Ghoda (the potters’ market) and the food stalls giving it a Street Mela vibe.
THEATRE
Theatre, traditionally, has been a medium of mass outreach and impact. The Theatre section at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival endeavours to present a multi-lingual curation drawn from Hindi, Tamil, Assamese, Gujarathi and so on. Hosted at the YB Chavan Centre, the theatre section has performances catering to people of varied age-groups.
URBAN DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
The Urban Design and Architecture section is focussing on the way we discuss and present architecture, design and cities. The vertical includes writers, film-makers, architects, and artists, who have been, through their everyday work and practice, presenting the built environment and through their interpretations providing the large field a ‘way of seeing’.
VISUAL ART
The historic art district of Kala Ghoda weaves art and culture for every Mumbaikar. Housed at Rampart Row, Cross Maidan and CSMVS (The Museum), the section features installations and various visual art exhibits focussing on Mumbai and Maharashtrian art and artists in an effort to stir conversations among the viewers.
WORKSHOPS
The Workshops section at BNHS, brings together practitioners of art, music, film, dance, literature, photography, cartooning, waste upcyclers and much more, to add to the spirit of the festival. The aim is to introduce participants to new experiences which leave them more enriched in mind and body. We have workshops designed for adults, and also young adults at CSMVS (The Museum).
