A day at the Story Express Festival

A unique festival of storytelling was organised by Story Express (an initiative of Akshara Foundation, Mumbai which also runs a Children’s Library in Colaba) in collaboration with Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum on Tuesday, February 20, 2018, at the Museum itself.

Every child has a right to imagination and education. To help every child develop their potential as a human being, we see it as a human right and the responsibility of all to ensure. We promise a better future by allowing this space to grow a strong cultural foundation in human dignity.

Conceptualised to use storytelling as a tool to enhance and support education, this group has in a short span conducted several such programs in NGOs. The impact was palpable. The teachers shared with us the changes they saw in the child.

We knew we had to do more. Thus, this exclusive one-day storytelling festival for children from NGOs.

The festival was attended by 300 children ( 8yrs-14yrs) from various participating NGOs like, ASEEMA, Akanksha, Doorstep, Life Trusts, Navjeevan Centre, Dawoodbhoy Fazalbhoy, Lord Harris High School, S.H.E.D.

As excited children entered, beaming to ‘a school day with no studies – just story day,’ our children’s authors Anjana Vaswani, Gauri Sinh, Natasha Sharma, Pariniti Shetty, Nalini Ramachandran, Usha Venkataraman, and Poyani Mehra’s team (Secret Passages) waited for their young audience. 

The sessions were carefully curated – exciting, innovative, and entertaining to tickle the child's imagination.

While some sessions were held in the open air Culture Lab of the Museum, other story sessions were held at another open-air venue – outside the animal enclosure in our very own Ranibag aka zoo. 

Lavanya Larthik and Samvedna Amitabh narrated animal stories on the steps of the crocodile pit, in the centre of the elephant and monkey enclosures and penguin enclosure too! Who needs picture books when you can show the animals living and breathing virtually over your shoulders.

While the older kids participated in workshops held by Shabnam Minwalla and Illustrator Tanvi Bhat, accompanying teachers were whisked away for workshops at Zoo at the Centre for Conservation with a special feature on the Humboldt Penguins, courtesy Mr Paranjape, Education Officer, VJBU. Another workshop was taught by educator Indira Pastala about Employing Innovative teaching methods to enhance imagination and creativity. 

Films are made for children but they rarely get to watch them, therefore award-winning films by Nina Sabnani and Hardik Mehta were screened much to the children’s delight. 

Museums are a storehouse of stories. How can we hold a festival at the museum and not enter this wide world of an era gone by? Courtesy BDL docents, exhibits were vividly described and explained the raison d’etre to the children.

During the lunch break, each child was given a book to take home. 

Children's festivals in cities are covertly restrictive. In that spirit, Story Express ensured that they laid out the red carpet for the kids and from the rollicking time it seemed that the kids enjoyed a good time though some probably got tired while others wanted to hear more.

What a way to enjoy a school day. I'm sure they will have several stories to tell back in school making those who were not selected to come very very envious!