Makkala Hubba

"Makkala" - a Kannada word, roughly meaning "for the children".

Makkala Hubba, a sub festival of the city-wide celebration, BLR Hubba; was hosted at the venue, Freedom Park. A hospital block in the freedom struggle-era jail premises, was transformed into an imagination escape for kids! The various exhibits provided education and fun - both at the same time! A few of them include ... the glowing Phytoplankton world, draw your city, minimal surfaces in motion, kere party, follow the butterflies... and the mega-size board game, which explored the various cuisines of Karnataka!

I had the privilege to mediate the idea of the mega board game to the kids. The huge scale of the game - especially the dice; and the goodies on finishing the game, struck the chord! Culinary knowledge - Ingredients, recipes and utensils - explored through play - what a sight! The sticker book - for the various dishes on the map of Karnataka - was everyone's favorite! Sensory MasterChef-like challenges added a twist to the game! Children had a fun coloring zone as well! Aah... even adults wished to be a kid!

It was an absolute pleasure to be among kids from various backgrounds and get a peek in their world of imagination. The "6-7" excitement and their presence of mind in various recipes and ingredients - "red chilli" in Kannada as "Kempu Menasinekai" for the famous GI tagged Byadagi Chilli - was contagious!

I also met some attendees of my puppet show sessions, who instantly recognized me, despite a new setup - "Hey... we saw you host the Panchatantra Story puppet show session! We did a craft... when are you coming back?" Also got a chance to meet distinguished people - creators of the festival - who saw it all come to life.

A refreshing twist to play in an urban setup - little smiles and excitement in the air! band of beads is thankful to BLR Hubba-Makkala Hubba, Bachpan Manao and Nivaala for providing this opportunity. Hope to see you soon!

Rasthe Hubba

Respect for fine art - something which is quite rare...

Not in Banaswadi, Bengaluru!

band of beads had the privilege to exhibit the handcrafted theme bead products for sale at Banaswadi Rasthe Hubba. A sub-festival of the city wide celebration - BLR Hubba, Rasthe Hubba brought a community feeling on the streets of various neighbourhoods of Bengaluru - Koramangala, Sanjay Nagara, Pandura Nagara, Malleshwaram, Basawanagudi, Banaswadi - to name a few. Supported by the Government of Karnataka and Bangalore Expo, this event was a great effort to bring everyone together.

Social Media Flyer

With a huge crowd of warm people, stage performances, games, beautiful rangolis and a flea market offering local produce, this hubba was nothing short of a perfect Sunday outing. Banaswadi was a region unexplored by band of beads. But, our guests welcomed us with great respect for handmade, noticing every detail - applique banner, corrugated paper visiting cards, "handmade at home" products and even newspaper carry bags! Your interest in handmade was evident right from the setup till the time we wrapped up the stall! This is what keeps us going!

band of beads is grateful to each and every guest, performer and the organizers of this event. Hoping to see you again! 

Christmas flea market @ Skadoosh, Varthur

A huge Christmas tree, a snowman and a reindeer in a snow-clad setting - a perfect visual treat on the day of Christmas! But this wonderland had a twist! You could actually go inside this Christmas tree with a lot of gifts!!!

The perfect Christmas treat!

Adding to this decor was a flea market set around, to make the perfect "fringe"! With a creations from heart, each vendor had something special to offer. The best part, there were different stories behind each creator! A wonderful company to be in.

setting up!

band of beads is thankful to Skadoosh, Varthur for providing this perfect setting on a festive day. A special mention of all our guests to stop by and take home a story. And not to forget, the wonderful stall companions for the whole day - partners in creativity!

Looking for more!

The Roar and The Squeak @ Bangalore International Centre

It all started with a cold, foggy early Sunday morning in the city of Bengaluru... a hill-station-like vibe in an urban setup!

My daughter and I ventured on a road trip towards the heart of the city - Bangalore International Centre (BIC) for hosting "The Roar and The Squeak" puppet show followed by an art activity. The session, inspired by the famous Panchatantra story, "The Lion and The Mouse" was all set to perform!

Lively posters and information boards welcomed us at BIC - thanks to the team behind the scenes!

LCD Display

Session details

As we started setting up the BIC Library for the show, the books around were the perfect companions and gave a foundation for the realm of imagination!

Little curious voices poured in. Their excitement was in the air as the puppet show was about to start!

A part of the footwear line-up!

The room slowly transformed into an imaginative jungle with roars and squeaks! This was visually expressed in an art activity, with an element of fun!

Each kid had their own story version of the Lion and the Mouse characters! I was amazed at the different perspectives of each child and the unique ways of expressing it - a reminder that all of us are special and unique!

A cold foggy day soon turned into a "house full" library room filled with heart-warming stories - a lovely twist!

I would like to thank each and every parent and child for being a part of this session. A special mention of BIC and the whole team behind the session for giving me this platform, once again!

Looking for more!

Event details on the BIC website:

https://bangaloreinternationalcentre.org/event/the-roar-and-the-squeak/

The Community Art Circle

A sea-facing view?

A view with lots of greenery?

A mountain-facing view? Or maybe, a view from the top of a mountain?

Which one would you pick?

Nature is generous. A silent teacher. A timeless preacher.

Every view has its own philosophy. But what remains constant, are your eyes - witnessing the view. Sometimes, a boxed view and sometimes, out-of-the-box! Very few follow the latter. But, all of them understand and enjoy it!

The products at band of beads are inspired by an out-of-the-box view of mundane objects. I got an incredible opportunity to explore this dimension with kids, that too for the Children's Day celebrations!

I was spell-bound by some kids' views (who initially seemed rather silent). A blend of art and game, "The Community Art Circle" was a question: "How do you feel when you break the box?!" Smiling faces. Lighter minds.

@Sreemathi AnnaVasanthi, opposite Sabhablr

@Resident Community Celebrations

Want to give it a shot? Bookings now open!

contact.bandofbeads@gmail.com

Welcome our dear friends - Lion & Mouse!

Love for beads.

Love for fabric.

Love for stories.

Love for children. 

Wait... what was the first love?!

A hard choice, indeed! 

Bead weaving and fabrics share a similar story - weaving. Well, isn't a story also about weaving plots, characters and emotions?! Understood the best by kids (or maybe a kid at heart)!

After a wonderful response by the audiences and the warm hosting by performance art venues, the thirsty crow saw it all! "Caw-caws", laughs, songs, amusement, a bit of a surprise and a lesson for a lifetime! I couldn't ask for more! "Hello, Thirsty Crow" has a memory bank for sure!

The bird world is definitely worth an explore! What about the animal world? Well, its time we visit it too!

Here's a scripted, interactive puppet show inspired by another Panchatantra Story, "The Lion and the Mouse". With a cast of handmade puppets and backgrounds (by band of beads), this show is freshly packed with songs, edutainment and a moral for a lifetime!

I welcome all performance venues, libraries, NGOs, corporates and schools for a ride exclusively for kids!

Let us re-live the nostalgia and pass it on!

Bookings open!

contact.bandofbeads@gmail.com

Two sides of the same coin...

One coin. Two sides - heads and tails.

Living beings. Two sides - good and evil.

Nature. Two sides - give and take.

What would you choose?

Power gives choices. A choice you make defines what you are - more importantly, your belief. And sometimes, the belief affects someone in how they believe in themselves!

The crow in the famous fable, "Thirsty Crow" saw it all! The bad. The ugly. But the spirit of believing in itself and learn from mistakes, kept it going. 

Inspired by the fable, the band of beads puppet show-cum-art session, "Hello, Thirsty Crow!" saw it all in a week -