Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Aaja meri gaadi pe baith jaa: A couple poses for a photo on top of a kaali-peeli at Marine Drive. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Young at art

Artwork by Ganga Narayanan

Bengaluru-based art gallery Artflute, through their UnGallery Emerge 2021 initiative, has set up an online exhibition that showcases artworks by students across the country. Through an open call for applications that was announced in August, the project collected over 250 applications from universities across India, spanning different artistic mediums. The 50 shortlisted artworks are now displayed on their website. "Our idea was to create a platform to nurture artists and help art enthusiasts recognise them. It's our first attempt at something like this, and we're excited to see the voices that emerge," shared Padmaja Nagarur, CEO of Artflute.

Giving back with an open heart

City-based NGO Khaana Chahiye has put out a call for volunteers to help them with their SOS Grocery Drives across the greater Mumbai region. "We are trying to reach out to more people across the city through this drive so they can pitch in with their time and effort. It's open to everyone, across all age groups; anyone willing to help and those who can give up to four hours of ground work. People with vehicles of their own will be a good addition to the cause too," said Mithila Naik-Satam, manager of digital outreach and partnerships at the NGO.

Drawing on India

Open Call India (OCI), an online platform aimed at developing the artist community in the country in a holistic way, now has a feather in its cap. It has been chosen as a curatorial partner for South Asia for Cyber Park Virtual Summit, an international artistic exchange platform. "For the next 10 days, we will be announcing the names of artists from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan," shared OCI founder Sanah Rehman. Follow @opencallindia to find out more about them.

Cheering for sustainability

A pop-up held at a venue in Kolkata

This diarist has learnt that the Art and Flea, an all-women led incubator project, will now make its way to Mumbai. On October 23 and 24, the project will conduct a two-day conscious lifestyle and fashion pop-up event that will celebrate homegrown artistry at the Greenr Cafe in Bandra. The Bombay Edit will feature a curation of ethically sourced, upcycled and vegan brands and their products. "The one thing the pandemic taught us was our impact on this planet. We've curated brands that make jewellery out of leather, those that create fabrics that are sustainable, hand-painted clothes and more," co-founder of the project Disha Das told us.

The power of six

Beyond School Bells, a space curated for after-school programmes, has launched their first in-house project called 6 Days, 6 Causes. This six-day workshop invites children from the ages of six to 10, to engage in activities that will instill the spirit of community service in them. "We do not see community service-driven programmes included as a part of our school curriculum, but expect our children to understand the importance of sharing. These workshops are aimed at instilling a sense of commitment towards our immediate community," its founder Priyanka Shringarpure, told us.