In a bid to bring and share diverse human stories with a wider audience in an experiential format, India’s largest storytelling platform, Humans of Bombay (HOB), is launching the debut edition of the Bombay Storytelling Festival (BSF). An all-new offline venture by HOB, the festival promises to be a celebration of the undaunted human spirit and the power of community. It will offer audiences a chance to experience the heartfelt stories they read and love online, outside the digital realm, for the first time ever at Bayview Lawns in Mumbai on 28th October 2023.
Stories are an intrinsic part of the experience of being human. It is what binds us all together, often sparking a spectrum of emotions and empathy for one another and forging lifelong connections. Rooted in this ideology, the BSF will be a culmination of all kinds of stories in every form, from nooks and crannies of India — stories from celebrated artists and well-known personalities, stories from those who are rich in experiences, and stories from people who have created a tremendous impact in society. With real stories of real people in their own words, BSF intends to be a melting pot of conversations that are raw, unfiltered, and authentic.
The festival seeks to celebrate people across demographics, not only through these multifaceted stories, but also via immersive experiences like The Storyteller’s Stage, Human Library, Panel Discussions, Open Mic, etc. This experience will be elevated through a live band and music alongside larger-than-life art installations.
Furthermore, BSF will be sustainable, and host food stalls and other booths dedicated to small business owners and new voices in the space, thereby realizing its vision to uplift them. Attendees can indulge in delicacies that will make their taste buds travel, giving them a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
Talking about the debut edition of the festival, Karishma Mehta, the Founder of Humans of Bombay, says, “Today’s world is fast-paced – everything can change in the blink of an eye, and most of us have the attention span of a goldfish. However, if there is one thing that has the power to bind us humans together, it is stories. And so, we decided to dedicate a day to celebrate these stories of love, hope, faith, and courage with the Bombay Storytelling Festival.”
She further adds, “The authenticity of HOB’s stories has always hit the right chord with the community, leaving them with a smile or maybe a tear but always with a sense of belonging. And with BSF, we intend to do just that, but on a wider scale. The festival will be an inclusive event and see no divide in terms of gender, caste, creed, race, sexuality, or ability — everybody belongs here, and everybody can tell their stories no-holds-barred.”
Humans of Bombay is a movement that started nine years ago with the belief that every person has a story to tell, thus providing them with a platform to tell these stories. The BSF endeavors to expand on this belief by widening the platform that HOB provides. With this, it seeks to enable and empower a broader audience with myriad experiences to tell their stories, thereby unraveling a tapestry of human narratives like never before.
