Art and craft have been a regular part of our social life throughout the known history of civilization. Why then have we moved away from art and created a general world of regular living, surviving and placing a world apart for art to visit like tourists?
To bring everyone closer to the world of creativity, to remind the necessity to sustainable living, to rekindle the fading artistic fire in the general mass, we bring to you SATURDAY ART FEST. The Saturday Art Fest is organized by Bikalpa Art Center, powered with Bikalpa Art Cafe, will engage you in various creative activities to enjoy with your friends and family a sunny afternoon on a Saturday from 11 pm- 4 pm.
The fest is an initiative to create a space for the folks of the city where they can always find themselves exploring an atmosphere filled with cultural vibrancy and creative brilliancy. It’s a perfect place to spend a day with self, family or friends exploring different activities. There is a little something for everyone to do.
You may choose to engage in one or all or none of the activities, and you will still go home with a taste of creativity.
Followings are the major attraction of the activities of the fest.
Food and Drinks!
Kathmandu has become an explorative city for food lovers from both the local and international communities. The Bikalpa Art Cafe hosts the food and drinks activity section of the Saturday Art Fest. The event is nothing short of a food fair, a well curated one. Each week, visitors will get to experience something new from the plates of an ethnic community. The visitor can be assured to experience local authentic food cooked by local chefs from the community. The idea of curated food is to promote traditional culinary skills and to commercialize ethnic and cultural food to increase the importance of the same.
People from different ethnic groups can be a part of this cultural experience. We encourage people who love to cook to join us as a representative of their community, and promote their cultural cuisine to a wider audience. To register as a community chef, scan the QR code below or visit the link HERE
Art & Craft Exhibition
Bikalpa Art Center has been promoting local artists and artisans through various platforms and art programs such as art exhibitions, residency programs and a dedicated e-commerce store. Saturday Art Fest’s Art & Craft Exhibition is yet another platform to boost and encouragethe visibility of local artists and artisans. Our Gallery space is also connected with the e-commerce platform (www.bikalpastore.com), which promotes diverse artists and craft practitioners who produce their works in Nepal.
We are expanding the Bikalpa Store to accommodate new and unique conceptual artworks. Artists and craftsmen who wish to promote their art through e-commerce platforms can apply to register their artworks/ products by visiting by scanning the code aside or visiting the link HERE
Kids Art Club
A weekend in Kathmandu city offers the residents a variety of activities to engage in. However, they are dispersed across the city and often one has to compromise one for the other.
Parents who want to take their kids out on a weekend, who want to engage in exploring creative activities for adults and still want to enroll their kids in a productive, creative learning experience can find the perfect place at the Saturday Art Fest. We have a dedicated instructor to teach little art and craft activities to the kids. You can book a slot for your kid by visiting the link HERE or by scanning the code aside.
Sip-n-Paint
There is some extent of creative inspiration in all of us, which lays dormant under the regularities of life. A fine weekend, basking in sun, amidst pleasing live music, surrounded by the light chatter of people exploring a range of activities with family and friends sounds like an ideal spot to find inspiration to activate the creative side. 
We provide paints & brushes, canvas, and a drink of your choice to sip-n-paint in a vibrant atmosphere. You can book your slot each week by visiting the link HERE or by scanning the code aside.
Live Music/ Open Mic
No event can be complete without music. We host live music and open mic sessions during the Saturday Art Fest to create a rich, musical atmosphere and further increase the vibrancy of the event.
We promote solo performers during the Saturday Art Fest. Musicians who are looking for a platform to perform to a diverse group of audience can register to be a part of the Saturday Fest.
Our stage is also open to the general audience after the live music performance by solo artists. Often, many of us have a great passion towards music, and have performed to ourselves a million times, but there are instances when we have a strong urge to show our talents to the public. This is a great place to explore your talents. The open-mic is available to the visitors who want to sing to an audience and yet be rest assured to be in a safe, non-competitive zone.
Those who wish to register for the Live Music Performance or Open-mic can visit the link HERE or scan the QR code aside.
External Vendors at the Art Fest
The Saturday Art Fest is a great place to explore a variety of products with your friends and family. We host vendors selling all kinds of products that are green, sustainable/ organic/ locally produced/ of traditional and cultural significance. The vendors are curated based on the mentioned criteria as it is our attempt to promote and encourage sustainable living. Vendors who are engaged in similar businesses can register to be a part of the Saturday Art Fest by visiting the link HERE or code aside.
Interested vendors must note that he craft market is connected to our project ‘Response to Climate Crisis (RCC)”. We do not charge rental for the space to set up stalls, however, we collect 10% of the total sales to generate funds for the RCC project. Funds raised from this are used for various community awareness and service activities organized by Bikalpa Art Center under RCC.
RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CRISIS
With an alarming pace, Kathmandu is moving towards the most polluted cities in the world. With the geography of the valley, there is a need for structural developments as well as a need to reduce industrial activities to bring climate degradation under control. With many organizations engaged in structural reconstruction and development of the city, many more individual and group engagement in climate preservation activities is necessary.
Response to Climate Crisis (RCC) is an initiative by Bikalpa Art Foundation (BAF) to involve the youth of Nepal from all spheres such as artists, activists, art institutions, professionals, and general public in community service activities towards spreading awareness about climate crisis, educating the public on ways to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage the mass to live sustainably.
BAF is hosting several activities that are both diverse and interconnected as a chain of events that are directed as a response to the climate crisis. These activities are concentrated in and around the city. Individuals/ groups/ institutes who want to connect and collaborate with us on the project can do so by reaching out to us at [email protected].
For more details and updates on the project by visiting the link HERE or by scanning the code aside.
