The Kalakaar Project organised its latest event, the Kolkata Streetscape Carnival, in collaboration with Shibmandir Committee on Lake Temple Road, between January 26 and 28. With a multitude of stalls and performances, Streetscape was a testament to the creative and entrepreneurial energy of Kolkata during the dying embers of the winter.
Stalls were dedicated to paintings alongside bakery, handicrafts, jewellery and more
Around 3,000 people visited the carnival on each of its three days, during which 30 stalls were in operation, selling everything from clothes, handicrafts and bags to paintings, jewellery and bakery. Chandeliers decorated the entrance, with a sea of yellow and blue ribbons taking over the entire lane. Local rickshaws were decked up and the rickshaw drivers were provided with food and clothes, according to Ashmita Banerjee, the founder of Kalakaar.
‘There are so many interesting things available here that we won’t be able to find in Gariahat or Lake Mall’
Mala Roy at the inauguration of the event
The inauguration took place on January 26 with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp in the presence of chief guests Mala Roy, member of Parliament; Debasish Kumar, member of the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly; and Paramita Chattopadhyay, the local councillor. It was followed by a patriotic dance drama performed by the children of Annapurna Food Foundation, run by Radhika Singhi. The chief guests were then felicitated by these children.
In her speech, Roy shed light on the several small-scale businesses that are run by women from home and how platforms like Streetscape are required to lend them greater visibility.
Kumar emphasised on the importance of carnivals and the need to promote local businesses, which can be a big boost to West Bengal’s GDP. Chattopadhyay focused on the specific items up for sale at the festival, observing how “there are so many interesting things available here that we won’t be able to find in Gariahat or Lake Mall”.
A flash mob to remember
The flash mob in full flow
Apart from the stalls, there were a slew of performances across the three days, including dance, music and storytelling sessions. The open mic segments were organised by Chaitown Community, the entertainment partner for the festival. Hollywood and Bollywood quizzes were also a part of proceedings, with prizes on offer such as Chaitown merchandise and homemade yogurts.
On the final day, there was a special street dance performance by Vanessa Mirza, while a 10-minute-long flash mob also garnered a lot of eyeballs. The group for the flash mob included 16 dancers from the Jadavpur University Dance Forum, who presented an amalgamation of classical and Western dance. Many of the Western dances belong to Crafts of Kammotionn, one of the oldest dance crews of Kolkata. “I don’t think an event like this has happened in Kolkata in a long time. It was a great way to spend the weekend. The flash mob, in particular, was a unique experience. Kolkata needs more events like this to showcase its spaces and talent better,” said Upasya Bhowal, a member of Chaitown Community, who participated in the flash mob (second from left in the pic above) and also performed poetry as part of a 30-minute storytelling session.
A special children’s corner was part of Streetscape to keep toddlers entertained
Kalakaar, which was founded in 2022, has been holding small-scale indoor events at regular intervals. “This is our 10th event, which is why we decided to make a bigger move and put together a street carnival,” said Shravana Mukherjee, the project head of Kalakaar.
