For Mumbaikars, finding places where they can just chill, relax and not be shooed away has been a challenge. Finding places that don’t charge hefty entrance fees or where one can simply sit gratis has been difficult. Mount Mary Road in Bandra West houses a series of steps that have been strewn with art, similar to some stunning steps around the world, such as the Piano Stairs in Valparaiso in Chile, or the Koi fish Staircase in Seoul. One among those steps is the jagged St. Stephen’s Steps, opposite the gorgeous, epochal St. Stephen’s Church.
In 2017, Abraham John Architects, and The Bombay Greenway Project, proposed a plan to re-design The St. Stephen’s Steps. With support from Municipal Councillor Asif Zakaria, the BMC, and the local ALMs (Advanced Locality Management representatives) the restoration plan was realised, and by the end of 2019 a festival was also held to “activate the space”, and use it to bring the community together, through the arts.
Before this, the stairway was pretty much a dumpyard frequented by junkies, drunkards and drug addicts and had become heavily stigmatised by residents. “When we first approached the BMC to redesign the space, they initially sought to convert it into a road. Which they always want to do for everything. Ultimately with the help of the Municipal Councillor who was extremely receptive, we convinced the BMC to re-do the place, make it a multi-use, accessible and barrier-free space. The next step was to encourage people to use it for performances. And the best way to do that was through a festival celebrating art, culture, and community. Thus was born our first edition of Festival at The Steps in December 2019-January 2020,” shares Anca Abraham, Partner at Abraham John Architects.
If one walks up or down the meandering corridor, one immediately feels at home. During the evening there are tall, glowing lamps, which have been placed at steady intervals, providing people with the opportunity to meet, gather and engage in conversation. People are also known to collect here to play badminton, practice kick-boxing and train. “The Steps have become a melting pot where people irrespective of their socio-economic, religious or political background come together under a common denominator, the power of community, and the arts to transform lives,” Anca adds. As the sun sets behind on the 19th-century church, it bathes the steps in hues of orange, yellow and rubicund — a staggering experience on any day.
Recently, the annual six-weekend festival witnessed scores of attendees from its first edition, which was pleasantly surprising for the organisers, given they had only advertised it by word of mouth and on social media. Whether book swaps, open mics, live concerts, or Kid Zones, the festival had something for everyone, the festival’s curation is the brainchild of three groups — Haribhau Vishwanath Musical Industries, Love Your Parks Mumbai (LYP), and Little Big City. “Given the challenging times we have witnessed because of the pandemic, it has become even more necessary for people in urban areas to have access to safe open spaces where they can reconnect with the community that they have been deprived of. It is well-known that the pandemic has affected our socio-emotional well-being and it is invigorating to be able to enjoy outdoor spaces again with appropriate safety measures. Living with this pandemic has become the new normal, and now more than ever, we need to come together as a community to support each other and celebrate our talents, passions, and culture,” offers Abraham.
Juggling by artistes like Suraj and Mackwin, line dance performances by senior citizens groups such as Swinging Sixties, contemporary dance presentations by dancers like Anaiya where sequences are a commentary on urban lifestyle, which is about “being locked in front of a screen and chained to a device”, all these statement pieces have been part of the festival. “We have always been inclusive in our endeavours. We have also invited children from NGOs like Angel Express Foundation to come and participate in our workshops. The local ALMs provide artists as well as audiences. We see them come by regularly and they are our most loyal patrons. Passers-by, residents, and even people from far-away who have only just heard about our events make it a point to stop by and witness the magic,” adds Abraham.
Shares Dancer and Bollywood Choreographer Sandip Soparrkar, who conducted a merengue social the last month, “Love and fighting both bring people together and we showed that through the Rumba and the Paso Doble. The three Ws of Welfare, Witness and Worship happen through dancing. Such festivals enable positivity to creep in and I think The Steps is doing a great job bringing the community together. People from all over come here, whether Parsis, Catholics, Hindus like myself, or others. We need more spaces like these...”
The area received due recognition when the EDRA Great Places Awards 2021 declared it its Place Design Winner. Over the past two years, many have visited the place and enjoyed its beauty and artsy pleasures courtesy of the mural-studded adjoining walls. Themes such as ‘joy’ have been conceptualised to add a bit of character to the place, and every year themes change so that more and more local talents get a chance to showcase their works. A multi-level, multi-hued installation graces the upper exit. Constituted by tall and short kites of different colours, they bathe the overlooking street in their shadows. Through incandescent blues, radiant reds, sunny yellows, and oceanic and lush greens, the installation makes for an interesting selfie spot. “My friends and I enjoy coming to The Steps for pictures, especially since the renovation. We then love posting those images on social media,” shares Alik Kokni, a Mahim resident.
