Date: 3-10 October, 2015

The Contemporary Arts Week has started at Nehru Park (Vinay Marg) entrance. This event, organised by Friends of Art is widely promoted on radio. It is on from 3rd to 10th October.

We visited this event on inaugural day. They have dance, music programmes, theatre, visual exhibits spread throughout the week at various venues (LTG, Akshara Theatre etc.) The performing arts include standups and puppetry. A list of the programmes can be accessed on their Facebook page.

On the first evening, they started with a predominantly music program at Nehru Park. A big stage was erected and the band Temple of Drums performed. They had Bandish Project and Hari Sukhmani scheduled later on. The performers were from various parts of the world (Indonesia, Brazil etc). The audience was a motley gathering cutting across age, gender, nationality. Consequently we saw many elderly people shaking their leg as effortlessly as the toddlers prancing around.

Like any music festival, spirits (makeshift bars) were available to raise the spirits. Additionally there were food outlets of Fio, Koyla Kebab etc.

We had nice masala tea and cookies (amaranth -almond and fig-chocolate) at the cart design kiosk of Jugmug Thela.

The open autumn weather, the greenery of Nehru Park and the hanging bulbs and lantern that was used to illuminate the venue created a heady atmosphere.

Some young men and women among the audience started moving their bodies in callisthenic style and it took us a while to realise it was a contemporary dance piece.

The entry fee for the weekend (3-4th October) was Rs. 200 but with discounts available for prior registrants from Little Black Book. The peppy event is a nice subtle way of ushering the cultural bonanza that we get to see in Delhi from autumn to spring every year .