From interactive installations to Urdu story-telling, the next edition of Arts Lane Festival is set to have it all 

The Kolkata Arts Lane Festival is back, and it is set to be bigger, craftier and more expressive!
A photography installation at a previous edition of Arts Lane Festival
A photography installation at a previous edition of Arts Lane Festival

There’s only a month to go for the biggest street art extravaganza of the city. The third edition of the Kolkata Arts Lane Festival - KALFest 2020, is scheduled to be held on January 12. The street art festival which is hosted annually by the Kolkata studio Art Rickshaw, takes over the quaint bylanes of Hindustan Park and brings together artists and craftsmen from across the country, to spread glee and colour on the sleepy walls, as a form of self-expression.

An elaborate installation at an earlier edition of KALFest
An elaborate installation at an earlier edition of KALFest

“Our theme this year is Stories We want every individual coming to the fest to feel that their story is special and that it matters. It's about making them connect to their narratives and others' stories with art as the medium. The city that we live in, we are lucky to be surrounded by so many stories, be it from the artists, or the people, the gullies,” Devanshi Rungta, of Art Rickshaw, tells us. 

The Arts Lane Festival is also expanding physically this year; not only will the artworks occupy more space in and around Hindustan Park, but there will be around 20 cultural acts spread through the day. “We are trying to come up with something quirky, like five emotions taking a walk, or something like that,” Devanshi reveals. In the last year, Art Rickshaw has renewed its focus on homegrown art and heritage craft techniques, be it Urdu calligraphy, terracotta, pottery, jute craft, and has held regular workshop featuring expert craftsmen. 

A pottery session at Art Rickshaw
A pottery session at Art Rickshaw

“For KALFest 2020 this year we will feature traditional dance forms like patachitra and chhau performances. Each performance will aim at conveying an entire story to the public, besides there will be an interactive art installation, live model painting sessions, Urdu story-telling sessions, human library,  F&B and merchandise stores set up by brands from across the country,” we are told.

A pottery/sculpting session underway at Art Rickshaw
A pottery/sculpting session underway at Art Rickshaw

More than 200 artworks are set to be exhibited, and the pieces are not restricted to any genre. In fact, you’ll find a happy blend of everything. The Arts Lane Festival, of course, provides a platform to artists as well, as they can literally bring their work to the streets and connect with their audiences directly. This year, the festival will feature works by some established names and artists who are trying to find their space

“This is an artist initiative, and our team is not just limited to interns, we are bringing in new people. Of course, we have the carpenters and people who help set us up, who are also very much a part of the team, since everything is done in-house!” Devanshi remarks.

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