If you have watched Coldplay and Beyoncé's Hymn For The Weekend music video, you must have seen Mumbai’s Worli Koliwada, one of the earliest fishing villages in Mumbai where the video was shot. The land is also said to be one of the original seven islands of Mumbai where the native fishermen community came over 800 years ago.
Over the years, the rapid urban development and migration has transformed the character of this urban village to a mixed, lower-middle-income demographic, with diverse livelihoods, a degrading urban landscape and a neglected shoreline. This shoreline, once the sacred resource of the Kolis, has now sadly become a site for open defecation and unchecked waste disposal, posing severe health and environmental hazards. Forgotten in these urban challenges, is also the 18th century Worli Fort, a former British military outpost, that recalls the days of maritime trade and warfare – a cultural landmark to be preserved.
To make this village a sustainable cultural precinct and Zero Waste Neighborhood, G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture has joined hands with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and IDFC First Bank to organise a cleanup drive this Saturday.
“Art is a wonderful way to dissolve barriers and boundaries. With G5A cityLAB we have found it to be an incredibly powerful tool, as we work closely with communities in our neighborhood. At Koliwada, we are addressing tangible civic issues that affect the community, like waste management, while also building a holistic plan enabling Worli Koliwada to become a vibrant cultural destination. Simultaneously our continuous engagement with the women and youth - through our ARTshala programs - empowers them in articulating identity and self-awareness, building confidence, and reinforcing and rediscovering skills and livelihood possibilities”, elaborates Ms Anuradha Parikh, Founder and Artistic Director, G5A, and Architect & Filmmaker.
The drive aims to bring the community together to take collective ownership of the neighbourhood is expecting to see participation of over 300 people, including local community members, Navy Officers and workers and officers of the participating organisations.
When: Jan 18, 7 am onwards
Where: Chede Dev Temple (assembling point)