As part of a year-long programme marking the 70th anniversary of Indian independence and the cultural relationship with the UK, Kinetika created Silk River, an ambitious project which explored the unique relationship between London and Kolkata through artistic exchange between communities along the Thames Estuary and India’s Hooghly River.

Ali Pretty, Kinetika’s Artistic Director, collaborated with associate artistic directors Ruchira Das (Think Arts, India) and Korak Ghosh as well as an international team of artists, writers and photographers to capture and interpret the experience of journeying along these two mighty rivers.

Working in 20 locations from Murshidabad to Batanagar (Hooghly) and Kew Gardens to Southend (Thames) we gathered, shared and retold stories of these riparian communities through 20 hand-painted Murshidabad silk scrolls

Silk River culminated in two performative walks –

Along the Thames between 15th – 24th September and

along the Hooghly between December 6th – 16th, 2017.

Silk River was part of Totally Thames that ran from 1-30 September, 2017

Silk River Interactive Scrolls

Explore Silk River through the art, images and
reflections of the people that made it possible.

UK

April & May: Design workshops

June 5th – 18th: Textile residency in Kinetika studios

September 15th – 24th: Thames Walks

• Fri 15th – Kew Gardens
• Sat 16th – Tower Hamlets
• Sun 17th – Greenwich
• Mon 18th – Barking and Dagenham
• Tues 19th – Purfleet
• Wed 20th – Dartford
• Thurs 21st – Gravesend
• Fri 22nd – Tilbury
• Sat 23rd – East Tilbury
• Sunday 24th – Southend

15th Oct – Diwali, Trafalgar Square
22-27th Oct Kew Exhibition
16th Nov – Exhibition, workshop & reprise performance of  Tower Hamlets walk ‘from Street to Stage’