In the general absence of parks and open spaces, the street is the nucleus of communal life in Mumbai. It’s where meals are sold and eaten, where groceries are purchased on the commute home and where neighbors gather every evening for a chat. But until recent years, art and culture remained off the city’s streets, strictly confined to galleries and theaters frequented by the elite. The debut of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) in 1999 changed that. This year’s version will take place Feb. 5 to 13, spread over several streets in Mumbai’s tiny but beautiful colonial-era art district.
The KGAF is the city’s most important annual cultural event; it’s also perhaps the only urban Indian arts festival that is accessed by — and is accessible to — the rich and poor alike. “The focus for us has always been taking art to the public,” said Brinda Miller, the event curator. “Almost all our workshops and events are free.”
The festival will feature 350 events, and organizers expect as many as 30,000 visitors. The program spans the entire cultural gamut, encompassing fine art, sculpture, dance, music, cinema, literature and theater.
This year, after a local resident complained about the noise generated by the event, the festival will be forced to be “soundless” — installations will focus instead on light, and some music and dance events will take place without microphones. Highlights include guided walks through the city’s biggest open-air laundromat and the enormous gothic-style Chhatrapati Shivaji train station, performances
by Sonu Niogaam & tabla master Ustad Fazal Qureshi and Bollywood singer , a textile installation by the popular designer Krsna Mehta, and screenings of alternative and mainstream films, both Indian and international.
Source: http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/in-the-streets-mumbai-celebrates-the-arts/
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