The nine-day Kala Ghoda Festival kicks off today with a mix of music, dance, theatre, literature, street stalls, films, food and heritage walks. The Guide has handpicked eight of the best ideas to catch up on this weekend
The nine-day Kala Ghoda Festival kicks off today with a mix of music, dance, theatre, literature, street stalls, films, food and heritage walks. The Guide has handpicked eight of the best ideas to catch up on this weekend
Must catch: Groove to Chinese beats
This year, Kala Ghoda Festival has a fascinating Chinese art package in store for dance enthusiasts. The Guangdong Art Troupe China, an art ensemble whose members are professional performers fromu00a0 the South China Song And Dance Ensemble, will perform in Mumbai for the first time. Their act will be based on dance excerpts from Cantonese Opera and other vocal and instrumental music performances. The show will be presented as a collaboration between ICCR and the Chinese Consulate.
On February 4, 8.30 pm to 10 pm;
At Cross Maidan Gardens, Kala Ghoda.u00a0 
Browse: Shop for a cause
Shopaholics with a heart can splurge on products crafted by Trishul, an NGO involved in health and hygiene in slums, education for under-privileged children and environment conservation projects. The products on display include papier mache crafts and clay art, Batik paintings, digital printed apparel, Warli, Rajasthani, Chinese, and Egyptian paintings as well as handmade jewellery, hand-embroidered sarees and floral arrangements. All the products are made by five women entrepreneurs. A percentage of money earned from the sales will go as a donation towards Trishul's Bal Sangh, a learning project for underprivileged children.
On February 4, 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm; February 5 to 8, 11 am to 9.30 pm
At NGO section, Kala Ghoda.u00a0 
Film: Run against time
48 Hour Film Project is a collaborative effort between the Kala Ghoda Association (KGA), 48HFP and music composer Ram Sampath. Enthusiastic teams of experienced and amateur filmmakers, as well as students of filmmaking will take up the challenge to make a music video set to a song by Sampathu00a0-- from scripting, shooting to editingu00a0-- all in just 48 hours. The music video has to capture various aspects of The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in the most creative way possible. A jury of eminent people will decide the winners.
On February 4, 12 pm;
At Museum Viewing Room, Kala Ghoda. 
Music: Play the Marimba Lumina
Austrian composer and percussionist Lukas Ligeti will regale you with a performance of the Marimba Lumina, a type of electronic xylophone designed by the legendary synthesizer engineer Don Buchla. Lukas will also discuss the unique experiences he has had as a musician. Over a span of 18 years, Lukas hasu00a0 worked on experimental and collaborative projects with musicians in Africa and across the world.
On February 5, 11 am to 1 pm
At Artisans' Centre, Kala Ghoda. 
Art: Don't scrap this Beetle
Fans of the iconic Beetle can check out the Beetle art-piece installation made from recycled materials. The structure has been created from artistic recycling of scrap pieces collected from the Think Blue clean-up drives held at various locations across the city. Over 2,805 scrap materials have been used to recreate the life-sized Beetle including 800 spark plugs, 800 cold drink crowns, 200 bottle caps, 60 mother boards, computer key boards, hard disks, CDs, audio cassettes, speakers, barbecue sticks, beer cans, wires, flat screen monitors, pens and type-writers.
From February 4 to February 12
At Kala Ghoda, Fort.
Kids: Heritage walk and puppets
A heritage walk and a puppetry workshop has been organised for kids. The walk will start in front of the Statue at the Gateway of India and is for kids between 8 and 13 years. Conducted by Usha Venkataraman and Kruti Garg, it aims to help children explore Mumbai's history through a story set in 19th century Bombay. There will be a puppetry workshop at the end of the walk where children will learn to make puppets, create stories and perform them. On Saturday (11 am), book store Kitab Khana and writer Deepak Dalal will host a treasure hunt for children where they can learn about the vanished fort that gave the area its name.
On February 5, 11.30 am
At Gateway of India to Children's area, behind Max Mueller Bhavan. 
Food: Deliciously eye-catching
This is the first year that a special section on food has been created at the Kala Ghoda Festival. Although the previous years featured talks and discussions on food, this time the talks will be accompanied by demos by popular chefs. The food art journey will provide information on how to plate food differently and attractively. At a time when food is not just about flavour and presentation has assumed great importance, the workshop aims at apprising people of the varied trends in food art. Chefs Milind Sovani and Asha Khatau will
conduct this workshop.
On February 4, 4 pm to 6 pm;
At 5 All Day, Hotel Apollo, Colaba Causeway.
Dance: Happy, tiny feet
While the street section of the festival will have many things to look forward to in the area of dance, music, poetry et al, this weekend what one should not miss is a Koli dance performance by kids with special needs. A number of children belonging to various NGOs have put together an act where they get to showcase their talents. Drop by to support these little angels in their effort.
On February 5, 4.15 pm to 4.25 pm;
At Amphitheatre, Rampart Row.
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