Youth group showcases art in its setting

When Praveen Shetty, 26, received an invite for a street photography workshop, organised in a photo studio in Mankhurd, curiosity about the venue led him there.

When Praveen Shetty, 26, received an invite for a street photography workshop, organised in a photo studio in Mankhurd, curiosity about the venue led him there. Last Friday, the management student found himself amid 25 others, in a small studio.

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After a photographic journey of Mankhurd's streets, the studio owner, Sagai Raj, led the group through the bylanes of the suburb, lined with transit homes. “After seeing the photographs, the locality, which I had never been to before, didn't seem unfamiliar,” said Shetty.

“We set the street photography workshop in Mankhurd because we wanted people to get a multi-dimensional feel of life that the photographs captured,” said Parag Gandhi, founder of Projector Friday, a group that organises gatherings for people to showcase projects related to art, culture, history and science.

Started last April, Projector Friday organises events in places, which fit the theme of the event. “Two months ago, we screened a documentary in an open-air ground close to a slum in Saki Naka because the film portrayed a man who grew up in a slum. We try to go to the place to which the idea belongs,” said Gandhi, 30, head of a web design company.

Events are held on weekends. The project operates for free and has a core team of 10 who set up locations, contact people to present their work and publicise events. The events have attracted students, media professionals, amateur photographers, filmmakers and entrepreneurs.

The 11 events so far have included a biker's solo journey into Himachal Pradesh, a workshop on Hindi film criticism, and a graffiti painting workshop Australian artist.

Projector Friday events are free and open for all. For details log on to: www.projectorfriday.com