There's something compelling about “Once Upon A Times”. They cast a spell and hook your mind into the build of an account you haven’t even heard. How they end has little to do with how they begin — these little elves, Stories! As the author of His Dark Materials series, Philip Pullman, said, “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” This need resonated well with the Children’s Museum at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS); they are presenting seven days of virtual storytelling for kids, titled Journey Through Time. This event is a mixed bag under the umbrella of tales. The offering, packed with fun, fancy and folly, will sensitise young minds to sharing a platform with one and all. “We have roped in interpreters this time so that deaf children can join in,” says Meagan Vaz, education associate at the museum. She goes on to explain the context to the title: “The pandemic has made us aware of our realisations of time. Thus, we wanted the event name to capture the essence of our past, present and what could possibly happen in the future.” Vaz, the festival curator, says it re-emerges after a year-long hiatus, and will also include book readings, puppetry, workshops and activities.

Sheila Wee