Govandi Arts Festival to celebrate talent & creativity of youth from February 15th to 19th 2023

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | October 31, 2022 | News

Govandi Arts Festival

Community Design Agency (CDA), Lamplighter Arts CIC (Uk) and Streete Reimagined (UK) join hands to celebrate talent and creativity of Mumbai’s youth and create the first of it’s kind ‘Govandi Arts Festival’. The festival is all set to be held from February 15th to 19th, 2023.

Govandi Arts Festival is part of the ‘India/UK Together, a Season of Culture’ and has a robust arts-based framework focused on building and showcasing the skills/talents of spatially/culturally communities through inclusive processes. The season celebrates and strengthens the bilateral relationship, friendship and vibrant cultural bonds between the two countries and also marks India’s 75th anniversary.

The Govandi Arts Festival has two overarching goals. First to provide residents—especially youth, with access to high-quality artistic mentorship and a public platform to express themselves joyfully; without minimizing their lived experiences. The second is to use art as a gateway for those outside the neighborhood to understand its human joys and complexities, washing away entrenched stigma and judgment.

Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts India, British Council said, “India/UK Together, a Season of Culture will establish a network of Indian and British artists to support a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable creative sector. The must-see Govandi Arts Festival will celebrate the resilience, inspiration, and creativity of young people in both countries.”

Sandhya Naidu, Founder and Managing Director of Community Design Agency said, “Community Design Agency has engaged with Govandi residents since 2016, working alongside them to support social cohesion and reimagine inadequate built spaces. Art and creativity are central to our work there, so launching an arts festival feels like a natural, exciting evolution that will have a long-term, positive impact.”

Bhawna Jaimini, Lead, Community Development, Community Design Agency said, “Govandi is a neighborhood often identified by its structural inadequacies but it is home to a vibrant community that continues to thrive and find joy because of their sheer resilience. Govandi Arts Festival is an incredible opportunity for the people of Govandi to define themselves and create their own identity which is rooted in their culture, beliefs, talents and way of life. This will lead to a significant shift in the public perception of the neighborhood and its people.”

Natasha Sharma, Lead, Public Arts and Design, Community Design Agency said, “We are developing an alternative method of engagement by using arts as a tool to create safe and creative spaces of expression for the budding youth artists of Govandi. Our intensive mentorship program gives mentees the opportunity to share their stories and experiences through multiple artistic mediums. I have no doubt that this one-of-a-kind neighborhood-based arts festival will bring people of different communities together to celebrate and have meaningful social exchanges.”

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