As Sports Meets Art, a Revamped Basketball Court in the Heart of Mumbai Conveys a Powerful Message of Equality in Sports Culture

- St+art India Foundation with adidas & Asian Paints strive for change as they deliver a powerful message of equality in sports culture through a unique piece of art

- Curated by St+art India, New Delhi-based artist Khatra has transformed the basketball court at St. Andrews High School in Bandra, Mumbai with an innovative typographic design that embeds the message of equality and inclusion in sports culture

MUMBAI, March 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --  Sport has the power to change lives. Following this train of thought, St+art India Foundation, has teamed up with adidas and Asian Paints to bring to life a one-of-a-kind urban arts intervention on the basketball court of Mumbai's St. Andrews High School with New Delhi-based artist Khatra to celebrate a positive moment in sports culture. The collaborative effort is a testimony to the fact that Change Is A Team Sport and aims to eradicate gender imbalance in sports and culture by influencing a change in 'mindset'.  

The art piece celebrates gender inclusivity and is being unveiled on International Women's Day. The revamped basketball court in one of the most iconic neighbourhoods in Mumbai reflects the changing narrative around women in sports by conveying an impactful message of equality. The court highlights the bold and insightful claim of how whether it is boys or girls, 'Sport doesn't discriminate'.

As sport meets art, this space encourages children and the community at large to change or view sports culture through the lens of equality and inclusion with a simple yet powerful message that reads 'GIRLS = BOYS'.

Featuring bold and colorful typographic artwork by artist Khatra, the spirit of inclusivity in sports has been embedded on the school's very own basketball turf with an impactful message of equality that reads 'GIRLS = BOYS'. Khatra, is well-known for his body of work including calligraphy, typography and abstract works amongst others. For this special project, he has used an impactful yet minimalist approach for his design, working with variations in typography to illustrate the concepts of equality and inclusion in a comprehensible manner.

The iconic urban arts intervention at St. Andrews High School is not only a beautiful addition to Mumbai's burgeoning street art scene but also represents the importance of changing mindsets when it comes to sport, street and urban culture. By bringing together different mediums, this base sits as an edifice of 'change' in the community as well as stands as a symbol of equality and inclusivity.

The initiative is being taken under the larger project base of 'St+art Courts' which seeks to enliven playgrounds in India with urban contemporary art interventions. Contributing to the foundation's vision to create art that is inclusive and capable of reaching a wide audience, St+art Courts strive to bring popular spots by the locals using artistic means, and utilise the immense power of public art to further both the spirit of sportsmanship as well as community building.

Arjun Bahl, Festival Director, St+art India Foundation, said, "This urban art intervention on the basketball court of St. Andrews High School has been possible thanks to the collaboration with Asian Paints and adidas. The coming together of two amazing brands to further a shared vision of making art for all, this project has allowed us to see and repurpose a traditional court with a design-led intervention, an example of which is also the Matunga court we created in 2017. Given the prominent location, we hope that Khatra's bold and impactful design will encourage people from all walks of life to pick up the sport and inculcate it in their daily routines." 

Manish Sapra, Senior Marketing Director, adidas India, said, "At adidas, we believe that through sport, we have the power to change lives. This International Women's Day, we wanted to take the changing narrative around women in sports right onto the streets of Mumbai and celebrate cultural transformation. We are excited to team up with St+art India Foundation & Asian Paints to deliver an impactful message of equality and inclusivity in sports culture through one of the most powerful mediums of expression - Art! We believe that Change is a Team Sport & we aim to bring about a 'change' in the mindset of school children by encouraging them and the community at large to view sports through the lens of equality. By providing a level playing field for all, the message on the school's turf is simple yet powerful - that sport doesn't care or discriminate."

Amit Syngle COO, Asian Paints Limited, said, "We at Asian Paints have always endeavored toward beautifying spaces with colour. Our association and partnership with St+art India Foundation is a step in the direction of making art more accessible and gender inclusive, so that it can be enjoyed by everyone. Sports today knows no gender bias, so we are delighted to once again lend our support to St+art's effort in revamping the basketball court at the renowned St. Andrews High School in Mumbai. This is our small attempt to bring focus on sports and support sport brands like adidas who also invest in projects that aim to brighten up play areas through fun art interventions. We are positive the outcome of this collaboration would be appreciated by the students, basketball players and visitors alike."   

About St+art India Foundation

The St+art India Foundation is a non-profit organization that works on art projects in public spaces. The aim of the foundation is to make art accessible to a wider audience by taking it out of the conventional gallery space and embedding it within the cities we live in - making art truly democratic and for everyone. Since its inception in 2014, St+art has organised numerous street art festivals and public art projects across India in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Calcutta, Goa and more.

About Asian Paints

Asian Paints is India's leading paint company and ranked among the top ten Decorative coatings companies in the world with a consolidated turnover of Rs. 19,349.84 crores (Rs. 193.50 billion).  Asian Paints along with its subsidiaries have operations in 15 countries across the world with 26 paint manufacturing facilities, servicing consumers in over 65 countries through Asian Paints Berger, SCIB Paints - Egypt, Apco Coatings, Taubmans, Kadisco and Causeway. Asian Paints is also present in the Home Improvement and Décor space in India through Sleek (Kitchens) and Ess Ess (Bath Fittings).

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