Govandi Arts Festival to celebrate talent and creativity of Mumbai’s youth 

Mumbai: Community Design Agency (CDA), Lamplighter Arts CIC (UK), and Streets Reimagined (UK) come together to create the first of its kind “Govandi Arts Festival”. Starting in August, 2022 with six months of artist mentorships and residencies within the neighbourhood, the Festival culminates on 15th February 2023 till 19th February, 2023 with an array of events open to the public.  Govandi Art Festival has a robust arts-based framework focussed on building and showcasing the skills/talents of spatially/culturally marginalised communities through inclusive processes. Supported by the British Council, Govandi Arts Festival is part of the ‘India/UK Together, a Season of Culture’. The season celebrates and strengthens the bilateral relationship, friendship and vibrant cultural bonds between the two countries and also marks India’s 75th anniversary.

Govandi, one of the most densely populated and polluted areas of Mumbai, the city of dreams, has been living in the shadows for very long.  In addition to the refineries and thermal powers in its vicinity impacting the average life expectancy in the area, the lack of sanitation and cramped housing made it even more difficult for the residents of Govandi during the pandemic. Despite its challenges, Govandi is brimming with talent that seeks a chance to express itself. The Govandi Arts Festival will be one step in the direction of celebrating the neighbourhood and giving access, exposure and agency to the artists coming out of this area.   

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 minimising their lived experiences. The second is to use art as a gateway for those outside the neighbourhood to understand its human joys and complexities, washing away entrenched stigma and judgement.

Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts India, British Council says: “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 says, “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 long-term, positive impact.”

Co-Curator Bhawna Jaimini (Lead, Community Development, Community Design Agency) says: “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 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 neighbourhood and its people.”

Co-Curator Natasha Sharma (Lead, Public Arts and Design, Community Design Agency) says: “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 neighbourhood-based arts festival will bring people of different communities together to celebrate and have meaningful social exchanges.”