Medley of art, music and photography

A unique melange of art, local culture, music and photography will unfold in Jew Town, Kochi, today. The Water Town Fest is launching its first ever edition in the culturally rich Jew Town.

Conceived by Creative Brands, the catalyst to the Water Town Fest is the Kochi Muziris Biennale, one of the world’s biggest art and culture events, now in its fourth edition. The Water Town Fest aims to breathe back life into the quaint little cobbled horseshoe of a town, nestled in the heart of Jew Town in Mattancherry, which is also among the biggest and busiest spice markets of the world. Jew Town was home to the ‘Paradesi Jews’, a once-thriving community who imbued the town with a unique heritage. Today, there are only six of the Paradesi Jews in Jew Town.

The Water Town Fest aims to rekindle the cultural heritage of Jew Town. The fest commences with an international photo exhibition, titled Pause, on Thursday. The exhibition will feature clicks by Indian and international photographers of repute, such as Mark Harris, Boris Eldagsen, Giles Clarke, Melissa Golden, Vineet Vohra, James Wellford, and the legendary Vietnam war photojournalist Nick Ut. Pause is curated by K.G. Sreenivas, editor and publisher of Creative Brands. The photo expo will also host creative workshops, portfolio reviews, speaker sessions, interactions, and a venture called ‘Photography for the Kerala Chief Minister’s Relief Fund’.

In addition, Pause, over the course of the three and a half months of the Water Town Fest, will be home to the musical programme Thump and the food carnival Spiced. In the light of the devastating Kerala floods, the Water Town Fest hopes to revive the energy of Jew Town, to keep the town alive and abuzz till late into the night with a series of street performances, music and magic, street art graffiti, and a makeover of signages, colours, and legends.

Viinod Nair, knowledge partner, Conceptual Pictures, says, “What started out as a simple collaboration for Pause turned out to be the inception of something much greater. The Water Town Fest is not only a place where one can come to immerse themselves in art and culture, you become it — an experience you’ll never forget. From the music to the food to every aspect of Jew Town, we are excited for everyone to know the magic this place holds."