16 Nov 2024 @ BSF -IIHS Library Exhibition 

Session #1 – 10.30 – 11:30AM:

Can we make responsible seafood choices?
Mayuresh Gangal

Fish eaters in Bengaluru historically depended upon locally sourced freshwater fish. However, from the 1920s and 1930s along with expansion of the railway network, marine fish started appearing in Bengaluru markets. Today Bengaluru fish consumers receive fish from both the west coast and east coast of India. In a way Bengaluru’s fish demand is also contributing to coastal and marine fisheries in India.

In this talk I will give an overview about the problem of overfishing in coastal waters, what are the different ways people are trying to address this problem and as seafood consumers, how can we play our part.

Mayuresh Gangal is Cofounder, Know Your Fish Initiative, Senior Research Fellow – Oceans and Coast Programme, Nature Conservation Foundation. Currently pursuing a PhD in understanding impacts of overfishing on fish populations on the west coast of India.

Session #2 – 12:00 -1:30 PM:

Rooted in the city: Edible Plants in the Urban Ecosystem
Suresh Kumar G

Reviving the knowledge of consuming and cultivating edible wild greens in urban environments is essential—not only for human well-being but also for sustaining the biodiversity of our cities. These humble plants play a crucial role in supporting urban ecosystems, nourishing insects, reptiles, and other wildlife that depend on them. By embracing these natural resources, we can help preserve the delicate balance of nature in our urban spaces.

Join Suresh Kumar for an insightful introduction to these forgotten edible wild greens, followed by a cooking demonstration featuring recipes that are at risk of being lost to memory. Stay afterward to sample the dishes and experience the flavors of nature’s bounty.

Suresh Kumar G is a Bangalore-based visual and performance artist, arts facilitator, and mentor with an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Delhi College of Art (2000). His work spans large-scale installations and site-specific projects addressing social and environmental issues. With an interdisciplinary approach, he challenges conventional art practices outside commercial galleries.

A founding member of BAR 1, Bangalore’s oldest artist residency, Suresh has supported artist exchanges and arts pedagogy. In 2009, he launched the “Samuha” Artist Initiative, and in 2012, founded the 080:30 collective for young artists in Bangalore, fostering public, site-specific projects. Currently, Suresh leads the “Sarjapura Curries” community gardening project, reviving foraging and natural farming practices for wild vegetables and greens in a village near Bangalore. He also teaches foraging and local cooking, and conducts workshops at farms and institutions.

Session #3 2.30 – 3:30 PM

Urban Ecology in folklore and culture
Vikram Sridhar

A city like Bengaluru grew from a village to an Urban space. It has very deep pockets of Ecology and conservation that can be observed if we just pause and look around. The session will explore the rich folklore that exists in a buzzing city of Bangalore through its various folk myths. With songs and lores, join Vikram as he travels our city. 

Vikram Sridhar is a Performance Storyteller, TEDx SPeaker, Theatre Practitioner.and a Narrative based Facilitator combining his various interests and work over 20+ years in Theatre, Conservation and Social Work. He believes in the Desi way of Storytelling as a strong medium of conservation from nature to human relationships as his stories are rooted in folklore, Heritage and Ecology inspired from various communities of the soil . He strongly believes ‘A Story a Day keeps the Doctor Away,’ – not an apple!

Session #4 – 4:00 – 6:00PM

‘Weaving Words’, an Eco Poetry Workshop
Mamta Sagar & Kaavya Sanje

Can poetry serve as a tool—or has it already?—to connect with, make sense of, and express emotions towards the environment and ecology, whether it’s joy, wonder, concern, or any other feelings? This workshop will explore poetry as a means of expression across languages and cultures. Open to participants from all linguistic backgrounds, the multilingual workshop invites you to engage with poetry in a way that transcends language barriers.

This workshop is suitable for all, whatever be your experience or background. The workshop activities will include creative engagement towards crafting poems, exploring multilingualism, visualizing words and metaphors through aural and visual work etc. The workshop will culminate in a poetry presentations – display, individual and group reading/performance designed and produced at the workshop.

Kaavya Sanje is a multilingual community poetry event curated by Mamta Sagar, intending to connect people move beyond all social, political and environmental barriers through poetry. Kaavya Sanje intends to narrate contemporary socio-political tales using poetry as the medium of expression.