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Things to do in Mumbai today

This Saturday promises to be a fun ride if you like serious cinema, curating architecture or just talks on creativity.
by Medha Kulkarni

It’s been raining and probably will over the weekend, but that shouldn’t stop us Mumbaikars from enriching our minds, should it? Especially today, when three wonderful events are being held in the city.

If you’re inclined towards cinema, or architecture or just like to hear others talk about the serious work they do, today is a good day for you.

Once upon a time in Nagaland

children from nagalandIndia Foundation for the Arts is organising an informal conversation with animation filmmaker Aditi Chitre and primary school teacher Seno Tsuhah about their work with the children of Chizami, Nagaland, followed by a discussion with Sumana Chandrashekar, Programme Executive, IFA, about the organisation’s various programmes.

Aditi believes that visual art in Nagaland has not been encouraged enough either in the classroom or at home. She received an IFA grant to conduct experimental storytelling and illustration workshops for 12 children from Chizami village. This created a liberating environment in which the children could express themselves in new ways. The workshops culminated in two exhibitions and a book of illustrated short stories. Seno Tsuhah also works with North East Network, a women’s rights organisation since 1998 as a team leader in Nagaland. She has been involved in community mobilisation, organising, capacity building and advocacy on issues related to livelihoods, environment, peace building and women’s rights. She was one of the core members of NEN that has built the NEN Resource Centre in Chizami, providing a creative learning space for the community.

The event is free and open to all, but seating will be on a first-come-first-serve basis, at False Ceiling Gallery, 111 Bungalow, Dr Ambedkar Road, next to Pali Village Cafe, Bandra (W). Contact Jigna Padhiar at 9619842954 for details or get more information here. The event starts at 6 pm.

Artisan tales

film screeningIn 2001 an earthquake shook the foundations of Kutch, Gujarat. While accompanying a team of volunteers in their relief efforts, Neha Gandhi (founder of Matsya Crafts, Mumbai) was exposed to the age-old handicraft tradition of the region; its depth, beauty and sheer vibrancy shook her to the core and thus was born Matsya Crafts.

Matsya crafts is a unique organisation with a commitment to rural art and craft. The main goal of the organisation is to preserve, revive, and expand the rich tradition of rural handicrafts by working closely with artisans, helping them develop quality products that appeal to contemporary tastes buds. Furthermore, it is also actively engaged in such projects as organising craft tours, undertaking craft documentation and organising film screenings to educate as many people as possible about the beauty of rural art and craft.

One such film screening is being organised today at the Matsya Studio. Tanke Bole Che is a documentary film that has been made by and about the artisans at Kala Raksha, Kutch, in collaboration with Nina Sabnani, an animation film designer, and seeks to educate the viewer about the life and work of these artisans in a fun manner.

“It’s a powerful yet beautiful film and it is incredible how these simple artisans have used their strengths and embraced technology to harness this medium of communication,” says Neha.

Entry is free and open to all. The screening will be followed by an informal Q&A round where viewers can address their questions to Neha. The event will be held at Matsya’s Juhu Studio. Get further details here. 

Curating Architecture

MoMAThe Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, helmed by Tasneem Zakaria, has organised some wonderful events and talks in the recent past and the one today promises to be an excellent one as well – a lecture on’ Curating Architecture as Critical Practice – From Independent to Institutional Contexts’ by Pedro Gadanho (Curator of Contemporary Architecture at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York) will be organised  at the museum today at 6 pm.

Established in 1932, MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design was the first curatorial department devoted to architecture and design ever created in a museum context. From its inception, it has built a collection that today includes 28,000 works ranging from large-scale design objects to works on paper and architectural models. This collection is also the main platform from which many of the Department’s exhibitions are organised, so as to offer the public new interpretations of modern and contemporary architectural production. In this lecture, Gadanho will confront this institutional vision with the notion of a critical practice of curating architecture.

The lecture will be held in the Origins of Mumbai Gallery at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum. Tea will be served at 5:30 pm, followed by the lecture at 6 pm. The lecture is free and open to all, but if you plan to attend, do RSVP with the event organisers by email at ccardoza@bdlmuseum.org.

(Pictures courtesy www.elizabethannedesigns.com, www.kohimaeducationaltrust.net, www.centralpark.biz, www.indiamike.com)

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Never too old to sketch

That’s what drives the landscape and portrait sketching workshops for adults at the NGMA, with some Rabindranath Tagore thrown in.
by Medha Kulkarni

Summer time is vacation time. There are a plethora of all kinds of workshops and events for children. But what about the adults? Why isn’t there ever a hobby class or summer workshop for adults?

This summer, the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is set to right this wrong by organising workshops specifically for adults. As a part of The Last Harvest exhibition curated by noted art historian Prof R Sivakumar to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore on May 8, 2012, the workshops aim to provide a hands-on, practical insight into Rabindranath Tagore’s style of painting and his use of mediums and their execution.

The workshops start with a tour of the exhibition, and a discussion on the works before splitting into two separate art workshops. The portrait-sketching workshop will be conducted by Parul V Mehta and the landscape sketching one will be conducted by Geeta Kapadia. Both Mehta and Kapadia are practising artists and have exhibited in galleries in India and abroad.
The interactive sketching workshops will open up a new avenue through which Tagore’s works can be studied while highlighting the importance of portraiture and landscapes in his works. Aside from the sketching lesson, participants will also gain a detailed understanding of Tagore’s humanistic qualities and his various achievements in the field of arts in India and internationally, juxtaposed with little-known facts about his personal life and family, glimpses of which can be seen in the works.

The workshops will be held at the NGMA every Wednesday from May 8, 2013 to June 5, 2013 from 11 am to 1 pm. The workshop is free and open to all although seating is limited (20 people per session) so it’s best to register beforehand. You can email Parul at parulvmehta@gmail.com to register. All sketching materials will be provided to the participants.

 

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Asha Bhosale gives Rs 5 lakh for drought relief

The Maharashtra State Government has already received upwards of Rs 116 crore via donations from within the State and without.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The State of Maharashtra has responded well to the Government’s call for help to supplement its efforts in combating the drought situation that the State is currently facing. Hearteningly, a little over Rs 116 crore has been collected already, via donations from students, artists, businesspersons, banks, NGOs and Trusts, and private individuals.

Today, noted playback singer Asha Bhosale visited Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan at his official residence, Varsha, to hand over a cheque of Rs 5,00,000 towards drought relief. Of this, Rs 1,00,000 was the prize money she won at the recently-held Hridayesh Arts event, which commemorated her contribution to the film industry. The rest was contributed by Bhosale.

“It is our fundamental duty to contribute for those who are affected by the ongoing drought crisis in the State. All of us must help the Government in the relief efforts it is carrying out,” she said while handing over the cheque to Chavan.

The biggest donations thus far – both Rs 25 crore each – have come from the Mumbai-based Siddhivinayak Trust and the Shirdi-based Shri Saibaba Sansthan.

(Picture courtesy DGIPR, Mantralaya, Mumbai)

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This Bulb has some bright ideas

Blue Bulb acquaints you with fun, sometimes OTT things to do. If you’re a Mumbaikar, you can de-stress with them.
by Medha Kulkarni

“Malls, cafes and bars. Meh. What else is there to do in Mumbai on weekends?”

An oft-heard lament of most of the regular office-going crowd who are too busy to do anything during the week, weekends become repetitive after a while. Joining structured classes, say for dance or art etc. is out of the question for mumbaikers, as work hours are long and erratic. This is precisely the problem that the founders of Blue Bulb saw and sought to fix it.

This is precisely the gap that Blue Bulb seeks to fill. Started in 2011 by Mumbai-based Regan Rodricks, Blue Bulb is a company that offers people in the city a plethora of things to do. They organise sessions for everything from hula hooping to Parkour to pottery and beyond. Most of these sessions are spread over a weekend, lasting from a few hours to an entire day, depending on the activity, and are designed to be taster or introductory sessions that give you the chance to try something new. Blue Bulb organises special activities for children and even has packages for couples. The best part about it? They’re all totally affordable!

“We look out for people doing interesting things and then try to see if more people would be interested in doing something like this. For example, I was introduced to a professional fire breather at a party. We got talking and before I knew it, I was on the terrace with fuel in my mouth about to breathe fire. And that’s how the Fire Breathing Experience became part of Blue Bulb. We also get contacted by instructors wanting to be part of Blue Bulb. But every experience and instructor is first tried by us to ensure quality. Our experience partners are individual instructors, clubs and professional performers who do this activity for a living,” Regan explains.

With over 50+ activities on at the moment (excluding a dozen-odd that they have as one-offs, such as the Hula hoop workshop) what is the most popular activity offered? “One of the most interesting experiences is the 1 Day Paragliding Training. We take absolute beginners, people who have never seen a paraglider before, and by 3 pm, they are flying on their own at 800 feet!” Regan says.

However, sometimes it can get difficult dealing with demanding customers. He recollects a parent who wanted to enrol their 10-year-old child for fire spinning. “We politely refused,” says he. “We get the most outrageous demands from parents, especially in the summer vacations. “

Priced in an affordable range, the rates vary depending on the activity. “But as a rule, we say ‘How much would you spend on a Saturday evening?’ and try to keep the price in that range. Ordinarily, a movie, popcorn and dinner would set you back by Rs 1,500/-. But most of our experiences cost less than that. And honestly, you will forget what you ordered for dinner a month ago. But you won’t forget the day you made your first clay pot or learnt to drive a bullock cart.”

For kids, they have a number of interesting sports like rock climbing, archery, and golf, and experiences like the cupcake workshop, doughnut baker experience, pottery, etc. One of Blue Bulb’s new experiences is the Pilot Simulator, where kids learn to fly a jet plane in an actual plane simulator. The simulator is a stationary cockpit which pilots use for training.

Each session is conducted by a trained professional and the team at Blue Bulb is very thorough and ensures that your experience lacks nothing. What I liked best about the way Blue Bulb organises these sessions is that they are never overbooked. Despite the steadily increasing demand, Blue bulb continues to retain its ‘First come, first serve’ policy and stick to their cutoff. This is good because a limited number of people per class means more personalised attention from the instructor and puts lesser pressure on resources.

Book an activity or experience with Blue Bulb here.

(Pictures courtesy Blue Bulb)

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A rubber stamp existence

Reena Kallat’s ongoing exhibition at the Bhau Daji Lad museum has literally stamped its authority all over the building’s façade.
by Medha Kulkarni

An off-the-beaten-track thing to do this Sunday – if you haven’t already planned a movie/outing with family and friends/a booze party/ all of these would be to head to a museum. Not just any museum; specifically, the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla.

Why? Because it’s hosting a stunning exhibition by artist Reena Kallat. Titled ‘Untitled (Cobwebs/Crossings)’, the exhibition is a part of ZegnArt Public/India, an international project created by Ermenegildo Zeg

What it’s about

‘Untitled’ is an impressive work that captures the attention of the viewer with its sheer presence. Several rows of rubber stamps are strung together to create a cobweb that covers the entire façade of the museum (see featured pic). The work seeks to invoke ideas of bureaucracy and the passage of time; thus each rubber stamp actually has the name of a street (in the city) that has since been renamed.

According to Kallat, the work is “a visual representation of the cobwebs of the past and of memories that clutter our spaces and will eventually fade away with time.” The project was chosen out of a group of seven artist proposals (by artists like Gigi Scaria, Sakshi Gupta, etc.) by the museum and ZegnArt Public. A separate gallery space is devoted to the other artists’ ideas and works, for the benefit of the viewer.

ZegnArt Public believes that the public space can be inhabited in several ways to facilitate negotiation and exchange and encourage critical thinking and dialogue and thus aims to explore this possibility within diverse contexts. India has been selected as the first country for this intervention and thus ZegnArt has partnered with the museum to put to test this notion of public space vis-à-vis the urban fabric of India’s most dynamic city,Mumbai.

On view till April 14, the museum also organises curated walks every Sunday that seek to create a dialogue between art and the viewer. Kallat has referenced old street names and forgotten histories as nodal points in her exhibition, and these are used as a starting point for the walk. The walk covers the length and breadth of the exhibition and then continues on through the Museum’s permanent collections that highlight the faded memories and the constantly changing identity of the city.

The best part about the walk is it is organised in English and Hindi/Marathi and the price is included in the Museum entry fee. Walk timings are 11.30 am for the English walk, and 30 minutes past noon for the Hindi/ Marathi one.

(Picture courtesy blog.saffronart.com)

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Two students, the environment and Germany

Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Programme combines study with green sense; chance for Indian students to be ecological representatives in Germany.

Know a student who is environmentally-conscious who likes to travel to far-off places? This upcoming programme is just what he or she needs.

Bayer is providing young environmentalists with an opportunity to win an all-expenses paid week-long field trip to Germany. This is part of the company’s forthcoming Youth Environmental Envoy 2013 programme scheduled to take place in Germany this year, and it invites entries from students with active participation in an ongoing or completed environment project. The entries will be shortlisted based on various criteria such as sustainability, inventiveness and project management.

From the shortlisted entries, two students will be chosen to represent India as Bayer Youth Environmental Envoys 2013 to Germany. The week long study trip will give students the opportunity to gain a firsthand experience of best environmental protection practices by the company, people and government in industrialised countries.

Last year, Gaurav Maheshwari and Swapnil Kokate represented India from November 4 to 9, 2012 in the programme, where they got a first-hand experience of how sustainable environmental practices are pursued jointly by the people, government and industry. The excursion entailed visits to various waste management and recycling sites as well as workshops on nature monitoring and conservation.

The Programme is a global environment education programme organised by Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to help young people learn about trends and perspectives in the field of environmental protection and sustainability. It is open to all Indian students in the age group 18 to 24 years, holding a valid passport and actively involved in a current or completed environmental project. Further details on the criteria, joining procedures and application forms are available on the India section of www.byee.bayer.com. The last date for submission of entries is July 31, 2013. The application form for the Programme is available online.

(Picture courtesy bikinginaskirt.blogspot.com)

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