Mumbai 'Innovation festival' to blend art, science, tech

Participants from the fields of art, craft, science and technology in India will showcase new and emerging concepts at the 'Innovation Festival' in Mumbai, a statement from NCSM said on Monday.

The three-day long event begins on March 27 at the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai, a National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) statement said.

The Centre is a NCSM establishment and the "festival will provide a platform for such artisans, creators, makers and innovators to showcase their innovation, talent and creativity to a large number of visitors who visit this centre".

To foster an out-of-the-box thinking approach, the festival will have make and remake sessions, creativity from scrap projects, 'challenge yourself' booths, hands-on opportunity spaces, and design contests for students, in addition to lectures/workshops.

In a unique blend of art and science, there will be workshops in photography, draping, knitted ornaments, crafts and textiles such as kalamkari (Andhra Pardesh), pottery, Warli tribal art and hand block printing (Maharashtra), sholapith (West Bengal) and lehariya (Rajasthan) among others.

A few of the key participants include teams from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, artisans, textile commissioner's office, union ministry of textiles, Mumbai and Paramparik Karigar (an association of craftsman).

'Innovation Festivals' are the first of their kind in India and provide a platform to innovators. Two such festivals have been held at Bengaluru and Guwahati, the statement said.