06 December,2024 06:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Ashish Raje
A worker adds a coat of paint to a commissioned sculpture, A Child Gives Birth To A Mother, in Bandra.
After their success with film projects by young talent in the city, Nazaria Collective's Kahani Lab will embark on a trip around the country later this month to conduct storytelling and filmmaking workshops in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, and Ladakh. "Our work in Mumbai laid the foundation for this expansion. We have always been committed to ensuring that under-represented communities, especially in rural India, are able to access the power of storytelling," Sapan Taneja, lead facilitator, told this diarist. The team is expected to travel for a period of three to four months teaming up with grassroot organisations and schools in each state. "We are excited to take Kahani Lab to more communities, and amplify diverse voices," Nandini Kochar, co-founder, added.
The students of BSc IT from Khalsa College collaborated with the iNaturewatch Foundation on December 3, where 95 students removed 110 sapling rings at the Taloja Hill forest. The foundation has planted 5,000 saplings in the area, including trees and shrubs, and de-weeded the area, which supports growth by preventing nutritional deficiencies caused by weeds. "The students were quite enthusiastic while we demonstrated how to identify weeds and de-weed the area," said Roshni Tiwari, environmental project officer.
The Mumbai Jazz Fest will kick off this weekend, but visiting performers are already buzzing. Earlier this week, New York-based saxophonist Hillai Govreen and pianist Silvan Joray decided to step out and soak up the city's vibes before stepping on-stage. "I have been here in Mumbai for only two days, but the food has been amazing," said Govreen. Having tried the menu at Madras Cafe in Colaba, the duo also dipped into the history of the neighbourhood by taking a walk around the area. "We also met a local musician, Sangeet Mishra, and have recorded a duet with a tabla player from Réunion Island. I have heard that the jazz scene in the city is quite good, and am looking forward to connecting with both musicians and audiences," shared Govreen. The duo is not alone in trying out the city. This diarist learnt that the Maloyan group of Solah also checked out the Gateway of India. "We were here last year, and it is exciting to perform Maloyan jazz music once again in the city," said vocalist Bernadette Philippe.
In the age of 30-second reels, a 60-year-old teenage-focused magazine sounds like an oddity. In November last year, Sunday mid-day had featured the longevity of Teenager Today, the teen magazine published by the Society of St Paul in Bandra. The magazine was founded in 1963 in Prayagraj, and published stories, anecdotes and reports on ideal personalities for the youth. Amidst buzz about its closure, our fears came true when we learnt that the September edition was its swansong. While many readers had hoped otherwise, editor Father Vincent Carmel confirmed the news. "We could not keep up with the rising financial challenges. Our readership had been steadily declining since the COVID-19 pandemic. It became difficult to continue," he said. As for the possibility of a return, Fr Carmel (left) added, "Reading habits have changed drastically. The purchasing power of students [for such magazines] is limited. There are countless issues that led to the decision, so it is difficult for me to say." it's a loss for contributors as well. "I followed, and wrote for it for years. It was disheartening to learn of its closure," shared writer Verus Ferreira.
The city is set to experience a fresh take on choir performances as theatre group Pratidhwani presents a choir of children under 10-years-old on December 11. "As part of Pratidhwani's exercises, we often conduct workshops in music and performance. Over time, we've always wanted to shape a choir performance. This show, Swar Rang, is led by children selected from our workshops," explained director Shridhar Nagraj. The children will perform choral songs and harmonies in a set over 70 minutes, singing stories through poems and ghazals in Hindi. "We've been preparing for over a month, and the children are hoping to make a splash," he concluded.
