Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), an org.sation created to address issues of gender inequality and discrimination, will be hosting a three-day ‘Samabhav Art Festival’ at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir., Bandra, from May 10.
MAVA has been holding ‘Travelling Film Festivals’, but this is their first event to also feature music, poetry, panel discussions, and writing, apart from cinema. MAVA was set up in 1993 to engage men and boys to address issues of gender inequality and gender-based violence against women. MAVA works to involve men as partners and stakeholders in addressing gender issues through cultural advocacy, direct intervention, and youth education programmes, said Harish Sad., co-founder and Chief Functionary of MAVA.
Events during the festival include a play ‘Rangaai’ by Trinetra Tiwari on May 10, a creative writing ‘masterclass’ by Sudeep Pagedar on May 11, a workshop on ‘Gender in Cinema’ by Rashmi Lamba, India Council Chair, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Deepa Gahlot, film critic and author, and an ‘Open Mic’ performance by Simar Singh of Unerase Poetry on May 12. Singer Neela Bhagwat will be featured in ‘Melodies Reimagined’ on May 11.
MAVA said it has been engaging and mentoring young men in schools, colleges, and communities in conversations around sexual health and gender-sensitive behavior through leadership-driven training and out-of-the-box methods including interactive workshops, story-telling, folk songs, street theatre, film festivals, youth blogs, and other social media. Through collaborations with colleges, universities, women’s groups, community groups, and mentors, the org.sation says it has reached out to more than four lakh young men and adolescent boys in the last 13 years, spreading the message of respecting women and treating them with dignity and equality. “People work with women and girls to address issues of gender. We work on men and boys, especially focussing on boys to address this subject,” said Sad..
This is the 6th edition of the ‘Samabhav Festival ‘, a non-ticketed and non-competitive event that travelled to more than 20 cities, and five rural districts. “Films are a very powerful tool to have discussions on gender issues. This is a path-breaking festival because there are film festivals org.sed by marginalised groups like women and LGBTQ. This is a festival by heterosexual men who are not in conversation, in short, people in privilege,” added Sad..
The festival will travel till October. Entry to events is through registration and is free for students.
