Under One Sky (Ek Aasmaan Tale)
Drawing on the impact and interest that the 2023 edition of the Arts Festival garnered among the Govandi residents, we asked ourselves–
‘What would it take to create healthy and sustainable environments of learning and creativity for children and women– who are most affected by urban inequity but have little agency in shaping it?’
Our ‘Ek Aasmaan Tale’ program responds to this question by creating year round programming for arts, learning and well-being within Govandi. Anchored in three spaces co-created by the community, the program offers an arts-led participatory approach to creating adaptive public places in dense areas, by repurposing underutilized spaces within the neighborhood.
Kitaab Mahal is a community space that inspires reading, through modes of art and library based activities. With a dynamic collection of children’s literature, the community facilitators at Kitaab Mahal have captured the interest of children in books through storytelling.
Through a knowledge partnership with @bookwormgoa and a network of library practitioners, Kitaab Mahal has become a booming place for creative expression for the community of Natwar Parekh.
A community space for collective care, HumRaahi is a space dedicated to emotional and physical well-being of the Govandi residents, led through art and music based therapeutic methods.
The process of building this program and design has been centred around bringing accessible tools of well- being within the neighbourhood. We chose one of the closed unused spaces of the society building and worked with youth and kids to visualise the space. After four long months of community engagement, design and implementation the space is ready and running!
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Awaaz, meaning ‘voice’ in Hindi, embodies the concept of self-expression and empowerment.
Awaaz is a space of care for caregivers, allowing women to rest and find respite. During the design workshop, women expressed their desire for a space that integrates leisure with childcare. Responding to these insights, the team designed an environment that engages toddlers while enabling mothers the opportunity for recreation and relaxation, truly making Awaaz a voice for those who need it most.
Project by @communitydesignagency. Supported by @imc trading limited
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After
Together we have built spaces for 3000 children that offer expressive art and sound therapy for well-being, one of its kind space of rest for women caregivers, and a community library that inspires reading. Facilitated by a team of designers, researchers, community facilitators and artists, the program challenges systemically ignored voices of marginalised women and children as stakeholders of the urban built environment.
