BMRCL wants to create a cultural hub at the Rangoli Metro Arts Centre
This weekend, take a stroll down the M.G. Road boulevard, home to the Rangoli Metro Arts Centre. Get reintroduced to the coffee bean, learn more about the art of coffee — right from the plant to its energising beverage form — shop for not just coffee powder but also jewellery made of coffee beans, and peek into the coffee museum.
Organised by the Women’s Coffee Alliance India, a coffee lover’s collective that aims at empowering less privileged women in the coffee production chain, the event, ‘Coffee Santhe’, is slated to be held on January 11 and 12 between 2.30 and 8.30 p.m. Events include displays on coffee and beans, arts and crafts competitions for children, and a latte art competition, said Sunalini Menon, coffee quality control expert. “People don’t even know what a coffee plant looks like. We’re also selling coffee plants such as the Robusta and Arabica varieties,” she said.
The santhe is a precursor to the India International Coffee Festival, to be held from January 21 to 26 in the city, organised by India Coffee Trust and the Coffee Board.
Other events to be held over the weekend include storytelling by Deeptha Vivekanand, a storyteller from Ever After, who will perform at the Rangasthala Auditorium. Held along with the Kid and Parent Foundation, the sessions will be held on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. Also on the schedule are interactions with septuagenarian Malathi Rao, who will entertain children with her vast knowledge trove, and a photo exhibition organised by the Akshaya Patra Foundation featuring photographs of children.
Vasanth Rao, general manager (finance) at Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., said the plan is to transform this stretch into a vibrant arts and cultural hub. “We are clear we do not want to feature any social/political activism. This should be a place that showcases excellence, and we want it to explore more niches and give people an unusual experience,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Staff Reporter / Bangalore – January 11th, 2014
