A nyomornegyed művészei – olvasmány hanganyaggal

The slum of street performers

British photographer Mark Leaver travelled to India to document the lives and talents of Kathputli’s famed street performers. The Kathputli colony is a 40-year-old slum which houses an array of performers, from puppeteers and musicians to acrobats, folk singers and magicians. However, developers are planning on replacing the slum that the performers live in with a 54-storey tower block, complete with a mall and luxury flats. It is estimated that over 2800 families currently live in the slum, and soon they will have to pack up and leave.

Economic developments such as luxury flats reflect the country’s growing economy, however some question whether it is at too much of a cultural cost.

Photographer Mark Leaver visited the area in March this year, just after the court refused to block a bid by a property company to redevelop the slum. He began to research charities that he could volunteer with, as he knew as a volunteer he would be given immediate access and local contacts.

“I began looking globally for these opportunities, and then refined my choices down to charities that could accommodate me as a photographer. In the end it was a throw up between India and Kenya. I decided to go with India after looking at the slum the charity operated in. Initially I was just there to meet and get to know people while trying to adjust to the culture, I wanted to create formal portraits of slum residents alongside this. However after a few days in the slum there was no doubt in my mind that I had to make a formal set of portraits of the performers. I knew that the slum was famous for having street performers in it, but I don’t think I was prepared for the world’s largest concentration of street performers!”

Mark says that he faced some challenges, stemming mostly from the language barrier. He explains that the residents of the Kathpulti Colony speak more than 10 different dialects and languages.

The photographer’s trip was the first time he has ever visited India or indeed left the UK by himself. Mark, who visited the slum for 20 days, got to know some of the street performers individually.

The making of the project was in itself a very memorable experience, before taking peoples portraits he would meet them and their families and be shown around their homes. Then all of the street performers would show me Mark their acts.

“Families who did not have a lot would offer you food, drinks and invite you into their homes. Guests are seen as gods in the culture, this is a phrase that was thrown around a lot.”

Mark believes he was only able to capture this element of pride because he took the time to get to know the sitters beforehand. However in spite of the performers’ positive outlook on life, the fact that they’re losing their homes cannot be forgotten.

“The residents are protesting the move, but unfortunately the land they live on has been bought out,” says Mark.