Celebrating the arts and creativity of Mumbai youth

Team L&M

Govandi, a densely-populated and polluted area of Mumbai, which has been living in the shadows for a long long time is changing colours. Literally. Thanks to the GovandiArts Festival, organised by the Community Design Agency (CDA), Lamplighter Arts CIC (UK), and Streets Reimagined (UK), the area is gaining colourful wall murals.

Supported by the British Council as part of its India/ UK Together, a Season of Culture, Govandi Arts Festival is a six-month programme that started in August, 2022 and will culminated in on February 15, 2023. The festival includes artist mentorships and residencies within the neighbourhood showcasing and celebrating the skills/ talents of spatially/ culturally marginalised communities through inclusive processes.

Under the mentorship programme, 45 youth were selected to work with Mumbai-based artists for the duration of the festival. Areas of focus include Theatre, Filmmaking, Photography, Public Art, and Rap and Music. The resulting work will be featured in the public festival in February from Feb 15-19, 2023.

Despite being surrounded by refineries and thermal powers that impact the average life expectancy in the area, the lack of sanitation and cramped housing made, Govandi has a lot of latent talent. The Govandi Arts Festival aims to give access, exposure and agency to the artists living here. In fact, it has two overarching goals: one to provide residents, especially youth, with access to high-quality artistic mentorship and a public platform to express themselves joyfully without minimising their lived experiences; and two to use art as a gateway for those outside the neighbourhood to understand its human joys and complexities, washing away entrenched stigma and judgement.

“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,” says Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts India, British Council.

Sandhya Naidu, Founder and Managing Director of Community Design Agency says, “We have been engaging 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 long-term, positive impact.”

Agrees Co-Curator Bhawna Jaimini “Govandi is a neighbourhood 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 residents 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 neighbourhood and its people.”