Govandi Arts Festival reshapes the community narrative

Yoursquod have to be out of your mind to think this neighbourhood could ever host an art festivalrdquo we remark instinctively while navigating the lanes of Govandirsquos Natwar Parekh Compound NPC In hindsight we shouldrsquove watched our words around artistresearcher Natasha Sharma and community organiser Parveen Shaikh who taught 60odd households in NPC how to change their lives using art in 2019 In 2023 the duo pulled off an unlikely feat by organising the first Govandi Arts Festival Once dismissed as an unsanitary crimeridden corner of Mumbai Govandi is now home to theatre actors rappers and photographers They were always here wersquore seeing them now Shaikh reminds usA view of the venue being cleared for the upcoming editionSo profound was the festivalrsquos impact on the youth that it will return for a second edition from December 10 to 14 As we make our way to a community room in Lane 6B to know more we sense a palpable restlessness among countless youth who are juggling their duties Luckily for us everybody here seems to be a good sport ldquoLooking back at it you might be right There was definitely a streak of madness to it allrdquo concedes SharmaExcerpts from an interviewWhat did you see in Govandi that planted the seed for an art movementParveen Shaikh I have been living in Govandi for 17 years Until 2019 art was an alien concept to us I could never fathom what people think about while viewing paintings in swanky art galleries I met Natasha in 2019 as part of an initiative by the Community Design Agency where we were reimagining public spaces in the neighbourhood She told me she wanted to bring this alien concept mdash art mdash to GovandiThe 2020 mural that sparked the art movement in GovandiWe gave it a shot by cleaning and revamping one of the dirtiest walls here with a mural The response was overwhelming In the following weeks families and friends converged at the wall every day with brushes in hand Wersquod sing dance and feast together watching the mural slowly take shape The same wall on which passersby would urinate spit and dump wet waste became a treasured masterpiece That wall mural eventually changed the fate of Govandi it was the first time we realised the power of artPutting together an art festival is not nearly as easy as painting a muralhellipNatasha Sharma Once we knew there was promise in the youth we spread the idea through word of mouth Architect Bhawna Jaimini from the team supervised the infrastructure Children roped in their friends from the neighbouring Gautam Nagar and Lallubhai Compound This process unearthed budding rappers actors musicians and planners Incidentally in 2022 the British Council sent out an open call for funding community festivals in India as part of bolstering IndiaUK relations We sent them a detailed plan and fortunately bagged the grant This year we are supported by the IMC India and UNESCO and SEVENTEENrsquos Going Together Grant Scheme 2025Parveen Shaikh left and Natasha Sharma show us a detailed map of Natwar Parekh Compound PICSSAYYED SAMEER ABEDIPS We were fully aware that this could be our first and last opportunity During our initial workshops I would remind the residents that the world did not want to listen to us complain It was important that we showed them how life here was changing through art We began by clearing a BMC ground at the heart of NPC with the community in 2023 It was a Herculean task but each of the 250sq ft homes here were abodes to artists and architects The years of household jugaad proved handyThe team shares a lighthearted moment at the main venueWas it difficult to convince longtime residents that this pursuit was worth the effortPS I remember when the funding initially came in a few residents believed we were pocketing money amounting to crores and that the festival was just a front for moneymaking Those sceptics are still around I ask them to pick any child from our team and ask them what the Festival means to them Just a few years ago if you browsed the Internet for Govandi yoursquod see grim news articles Today that has been replaced with rap songs short films and success stories from the neighbourhoodA quilt stitched by women of Govandi will be displayed at the festivalNS This stigma is perhaps why we decided to steer clear of title sponsors When the festival poster is put up yoursquoll find names of each of the 200odd residents who have played their part We are often approached by NGOS and politicians we extend them an open invitation to attend but never to attach their name with the projectYour learnings from the first edition that will help in the upcoming festivalNS The biggest lesson we learnt was that the festival cannot be our sole goal We started regular workshops after the first edition to ensure these talents didnrsquot burn bright and fade fast What was a batch of 25 artistes in 2023 has grown to 100 Members who were mentees last edition have turned mentors this year Earlier today we finished stitching a large tapestry depicting life in Govandi After its time at the festival it will head to the upcoming Kochi Muziris BiennaleOne of the highlights this year is a board game called Gully Mohalla that we built in our workshops It revolves around planning a better neighbourhood for residents The game will be launched at the festival and will be on sale soon afterThe walls of the neighbourhood sport posters leading up to the festivalPS We have also learned to foster relations with our wellwishers including the BMC and Mumbai Police The 2023 festival reminded authorities that there is still hope in Govandi This year the Mumbai Police will be on stage with a special presentation on crime prevention At the end of the day the rest of Mumbai including the police administration and civic authorities can extend a hand to Govandi How we manifest that support is ultimately in our handsLog on to govandiartsfestival on InstagramGovandi ke superstarsCode 43This rap crew of four members who borrow their stage name from Govandirsquos 400043 postal code started as a group of young boys rapping about life in Govandi Since the first edition they have travelled across India with their music and also featured at the Kala Ghoda Arts FestivalSana Shaikh 23Sanarsquos short film Those Three Months has made its way to New York Film Festival and the South Asian Film Festival Recently the film was also screened at the prestigious International Film Festival of Kerala 2023 where she joined a team of decorated panellists on stageTayyaba Darvesh 22A theatre enthusiast who found her calling in the first edition Taiyyaba is now excited to present Govandi ke Superheroes a scifi comedy that follows an alien invasion in Govandi ldquoI feel the happiest when Irsquom on stagerdquo she tells us