With the intention of brightening the art and culture scene in Mumbai, this year's festival will be a mix of the old and the new; an amalgamation of the legends of yesteryears with the best of today's talent. From Feb. 4 to 12, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival will bring a kaleidoscope of music, dance, theatre, literature, street stalls, films, food, workshops, visual arts and heritage walks. In addition to setting up the art fest, the association has also helped to upgrade the area, restore buildings and facades, and improve amenities.

With inspiring and experiential displays of art forming the backdrop of the festival, some of the displays will include work by Reena Kallat, Brinda Miller, Krsna Mehta, Tobias Megerie, Mumbai Esplanade Project, Arzaan Khambatta, and EE Studio, among others. World renowned artist Tracy Lee Stum, in collaboration with the American Center of the US Consulate, will also create a live display of 3D images of the street festival as it happens.

As a new element in the festival, a section called ‘Food Art' has been added wherein live demonstrations of Indian and international cuisines will be made by recognised chefs and experts like Rahul Akerkar of Indigo fame, Asian chef of the year Milind Sovani, Alex Sanchez from The Table, Nikhil Chib of Busaba, Asha Khatau, Pooja Dhingra of Le 15 Patisserie, Prashant from Le Pain Quodien, and Mukhtar Quereshi of Neel.

Another new element is the introduction of a new venue, the recently renovated Cross Maidan Garden, for music and dance forms, with visual art installations forming the backdrop for the same. The festival will open with a performance of music, dance and acrobatics by The Guangdong Art Troupe from China, who have been invited by the KGAF, in collaboration with ICCR and The Chinese Consulate. Ranging from classical and contemporary dance forms to folk and international, performances will also be done by artists and troupes like Margi Vijay Kumar, Alarmel Valli, Sannidhi, Paravathy Baul, Susheela Raman, Agnya, Raga Boyz from Pakistan, Satish Vyas, and Astad Deboo with his interpretation of ‘Remembering Tagore'. On Feb. 11 and 12, the Asiatic Steps will be the stage for the magic of sound and music by versatile sitarist Niladri Kumar, and Bollywood duo Vishal-Shekhar.

In the film section of the festival, national and international contemporary masters will pay tribute to icons like Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Jagjit Singh, Bhupen Hazarika, Satyadev Dubey, Tagore and Dickens, who have left an inedible mark on the landscape of art and culture for films. This year, the film section will feature an interactive element in the form of a competition, ‘The 48 hour music video project' which has to feature Mumbai and the festival, which will be judged by a panel of eminent personalities.

On the theatrical front, the theatre section will see the Horniman Circle Garden, NGMA and Gallery Beyond serving as stages to over 25 plays from the best of Mumbai theatre like Lillette Dubey, Dinesh Thakur, Rajit Kapur, and Divya Palat.

To nourish one's mind and intellect, the literature section will see a host of activities, book launches and panel discussions with authors like Kiran Nagarkar, Deepti Naval, Bachi Karkaria, Naresh Fernandes, Arundatti Subramaniam, Loveleen Misra, and Pritish Nandy.

The famed beauty of the Kala Ghoda precinct lies in its heritage and architectural structures. To shed light on this beauty, the heritage walk section will organise walks in and around the precinct, giving people the history behind the stained glass, the story of the performing arts history with NCPA, and a treasure hunt for kids in and around the structures.

In continued recognition of the importance of highlighting the beauty of Indian art and culture for children, the children section will provide fun and experiential learning through dance, art, music, shadow puppetry, games, food, saving the environment, waste management and a host of other activities. Not to leave out the adults, the workshop section will have sessions on topics like paper mache, know your art, paper sculptures, architecture, graphic design, the art of screenwriting, textiles, appreciation of teas, food, and water colours.

And last but not the least, as the heart of the festival, Rampart Row will resound every evening with street and folk artists from across the country performing at the amphitheatre, in collaboration with the West Zone Cultural Centre, entertaining visitors as they shop at the stalls selling products encompassing traditional and contemporary art.