One of the country’s largest multicultural festivals, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival — which takes place in February each year — is returning in 2023 with a splash! It will begin on February 4, Saturday, and will go on till February 12, Sunday. The nine-day festival, organised by the Kala Ghoda Association, takes place in the Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai.
The area is known for its heritage buildings, and art and cultural spaces, such as museums, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and educational institutions. “The precinct attracts food connoisseurs, fashion designers, and architecture enthusiasts among a host of creative talent. The constant bustle of heritage aficionados is an ode to the rich legacy of the precinct,” according to Kala Ghoda Association.
Founded in 1999, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has, since, become one of the biggest street art festivals in the country, drawing visitors in large numbers, not just from Mumbai but all over the country and the world. With the aim of promoting arts, crafts and cultural heritage, the funds raised from the festival every year are directed towards the restoration efforts undertaken by the Association.
The much-acclaimed art festival is celebrated across 14 sections or verticals, namely children, cinema, dance, food, heritage walks, literature, music, stalls, stand-up comedy, street, theatre, urban design and architecture, visual art, and workshops.
Children: This section, according to the associations, “encourages kids to forget about the world of homework, and walk into the fantastical world of stories, where a child on wheels can be a hero and so can the queen of Kashmir“.
Cinema: From hard-hitting documentaries to entertaining Bollywood flicks, this section will surely enthral film lovers.
Dance: The various dance performances are aimed to express limitless energy and create an infectious environment to sit back and enjoy all forms of dance, it says.
Food: This section features a series of master-chef workshops highlighting different cuisines apart from food walks held on the weekend.
Heritage walks: “Curated walks for 9 days, 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.”
Music: This section explores different genres of music and gives a stage to popular artists as well as folk musicians who enthral audiences in equal measure.
Literature: Writing, reading, and a generation of ideas through literature will take the audience from the whirling energies of the Arts Festival.
Stalls: The stalls section provides a platform for lesser-known Indian arts and crafts to shine and patrons have responded with gusto each year, turning Rampart Row into a buzzing hub for the 9 days of the festival
Stand-up comedy: The stand-up comedy section brings to you the top comics in the city.
Street: It becomes a platform for various lesser-known Indian arts and crafts to shine.
Theatre: The theatre section at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has always strived to put up performances from Hindi and regional theatre that both inspire and entertain.
Urban design and architecture: The Urban Design and Architecture section focuses on the way we discuss, talk about, and present – architecture, design, and cities.
Visual art: It will feature installations and exhibits focusing on Mumbai and Maharashtrian art and artists.
Workshops: It brings together dancers, musicians, writers, jewellery makers, waste upcyclers, painters and intellectuals to add to the spirit of the festival.
