Ideas for Mumbai's spaces

From talks by author Kiran Nagarkar and artist Jatin Das to a performance by a Sufi Fusion band, the second edition of Ibteda TISS 2015 will celebrate and debate on the idea of spaces

This weekend, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) campus at Deonar will turn into a hub for academicians, art and culture enthusiasts as well as city’s literati as the institute hosts Ibteda TISS 2015, their annual festival combining seminars, a literature festival and cultural events. Curated by one of its faculty members, Professor Ashwani Kumar, and organised by the students of the School of Development Studies, the second edition of the festival will see panel discussions, debates, talks and cultural events revolving around the theme, Contesting Spaces and Negotiating Development: a Dialogue on the Geographies of Power, Politics and Citizenship in India.

“Through the theme, we intend to create a platform where this idea of ‘space’ can be debated and reflected upon. Space is one of the central aspects to development in India. Here, we’ve included not just the physical space, but also the abstract ideas of space like the digital space, performative space, private space and the space for freedom of expression among others. We’ve ensured that various ideas and aspects of spaces get represented in our line-up,” informs Shantanu Nevrekar, an organising committee member.

Author Kiran Nagarkar

One of the highlights this year is a conversation with the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning bilingual author Kiran Nagarkar revolving around his books Cuckold, Saat Sakkam Trechalis and God’s Little Soldier. “The aim is to make the audience get a glimpse of this literary genius and learn from his life, which has been an inspiration for both the Marathi and the English literary communities,” informs Nevrekar.

The fest will also witness a talk by the renowned artist Jatin Das on his iconic murals with a special focus on ‘The Journey of India: Mohenjodaro to Mahatma Gandhi’, which is now in the Parliament and traces the country’s history from the Indus Valley Civilisation to contemporary times. Other highlights include poetry and prose reading session by film and theatre actor Benjamin Gilani, a panel discussion on freedom of expression — a dialogue on words and sound bites with Marathi writer Hemant Divate, author Altaf Tyrewala and poet and translator Mustansir Dalvi, a Classical music tribute by Ustad Raja Miyan from Agra Gharana and a concluding performance by RAM Trio, a Sufi fusion band.

From: February 21 to 22
At: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, VN Purav Marg, Deonar.
Call: 25525000
Log on to: www.facebook.com/pages/Ibteda-2015-Annual-Festival-of-School-of-Development-Studies-TISS

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