I am slowly falling in love with Mumbai all over again. First the Kala Ghoda Festival, then Celebrate Bandra and now the Mathuradas Mill Culture Crawl; a brand new way to relish all that is kitschy and creative about Mumbai in the extraordinary setting of Mathurdas Mill. I love the fact that in the middle of “winter” we enjoy the luxury of strolling down the streets in our shorts and chappals, so imagine my delight when I got this email from Elsie Nanji
(partner and creative director, Ambience Advertising, who incidentally is the creative genius behind the design of the Four Seasons rooftop bar Aer that I’m getting a sneak peek of later today.)
Hello Everyone!
If you’ve been on the road that takes one from Lower Parel railway station to Mathuradas mills compound you will know it is narrow, over crowded, a little dirty and well, perhaps even a touch unpleasant. Hundreds of people hustle by all day on this busy little stretch made busier by the market that lines it. There is a vegetable market, a butchers shop, a temple, a garage, a tailor, a printing press, the local bar, a mochi and the fish market with crows flying at dangerously low altitudes and sly black cats slinking across the street to steal fish from the noisy yet watchful fisher women.
In all of this, the designers at Red Lion (A division of Publicis India) have found a wealth of inspiration and a way to appreciate the chaotic culture in the form of the ‘Mathuradas Mill Culture Crawl’. It is a 3-day visual arts festival with the theme “Life around the Neighborhood” celebrating art, culture and heritage. Joining hands with Red Lion are Blue Frog, The Loft, IdeaLake, Krsna Mehta, Spenta, Publicis and Mudra.
The Crawl is a self-guided tour of community-initiated events such as music shows by Blue Frog, film screenings by Highlight.. “Little Zizou” directed by Sooni Taraporewala, followed by a conversation with the director and cast outdoors on the street, (parts of the film were shot in this very spot) dance performances and fashion show by WLC College, Light and Fabric Installation by Krsna Mehta, Heritage Exhibition by Red Lion at ‘The Loft’, web workshops by Idea Lake, visual arts, culinary arts, community art walks and much more. There are various artists living and working in Mathuradas Mills and the surrounding area, many are well-known and on display in galleries, and more are hidden in nooks and crannies, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
So come enjoy some design, art, music and food this weekend.. Red Lion has some funky stuff up on display and for sale at ‘The Loft’ a gallery very close to Blue Frog. One of us should be there to show you around..
Cheers!
Elsie
Love it, see you there.