Kauri (Centre for Art & Storytelling by Mysticeti)
I founded Kauri in 2023 with the vision of creating a community space in Varanasi where children can share and explore their interests and ideas through art and storytelling.
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Since its inception, Kauri has facilitated and organised two child-centred events. The first event showcased various storytelling and art forms from the Global South, while the second brought in artists from across India to facilitate workshops. These events marked the beginning of Kauri's journey, and it has since opened its doors to all children in Varanasi. Kauri's programs, offered by local and visiting artists, provide a diverse range of creative opportunities. In the coming months, my goal is to reach more children in Varanasi and expand Kauri's initiatives to cater to different age groups.
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Kauri's long-term vision is to establish itself as a leading centre for arts and storytelling, inspiring children to explore their creativity and form meaningful connections with artists and peers both within and beyond the community. It also aims to foster a culture where more parents become open to meaningfully engaging with art and cultural activities, recognising the importance of community platforms like Kauri in child development.
Features
"Run by Varanasi-based Stuti Sareen, 28, Mysticeti is part of the niche albeit growing, set of cultural experience centres located in tier 2 and 3 cities and towns. These centres are not just opening up new ways of thinking about art but are also rooted in the context of the city, and have emerged as meaningful spaces for both locals and families visiting from other parts of the county."
An overview of my role
Creative Programming and Event Facilitation
Curating and facilitating workshops and events featuring artists and initiatives from across India. These workshops aim to bring expert knowledge and exposure to Varanasi's children, enhancing their artistic and storytelling experiences.
Membership and Programme Development
Designing and overseeing Kauri's membership program, crafting interest-based activities and sessions for members. This includes working with local artists and facilitators to deliver bi-weekly sessions, managing counseling sessions with interested members, and fostering a community where families and children can engage in cultural and enrichment activities.
Learning Showcase Curator
Curating projects and events to display and celebrate children's learning and creativity. This includes curating multimedia creations into publications, organising presentations and exhibitions to highlight their work at Kauri, and facilitating interactive events such as art hauls and performances. These initiatives provide children with opportunities to showcase their creations and engage with their community.
Outreach and Engagement
Implementing a comprehensive outreach strategy for Kauri through multiple channels to enhance visibility and engagement. This includes creating and managing social media posts to increase online presence, collaborating with relevant pages to expand reach, achieved organic media coverage through national outlets like Mint Lounge to boost Kauri’s profile. Additionally, conducted physical outreach by organising in-person visits, designing and distributing pamphlets via local channels to directly connect with the community and raise awareness about Kauri's offerings.
Brand Identity & Asset Design
Led the design of Kauri's identity, reflecting the values of curiosity, creativity and community. Art direction to create graphics, while independently designing utility-focused branding assets and customer-centered marketing products. This resulted in a significant increase in Kauri's presence, which was important as the first center of its kind in Varanasi.
Space and Design Curation
Led the conceptualisation, design, and implementation of various functional spaces, including the children's library, dramatics room, art room, garden, and community hall. This involved designing and refurbishing versatile furniture tailored to each space to create multi-purpose and adaptable environments with learning and display areas. Additionally, I managed equipment procurement, including the curation and sourcing of the children's library.
Featured Projects
creative programming
Art & Storytelling Workshops
The first series of workshops at Kauri introduced children in Varanasi to new artists, experts, and areas of art, including poetry, foraging, zine-making, comic-making, stop-motion animation, short story writing, mixed media art, and world-building. These workshops were facilitated by a carefully selected group of artists from across India, including Rohini Kejriwal, Ita Mehrotra, The Museum of Art and Photography Bengaluru, and Anushree Joshi. My role involved curating the workshop series, collaborating with the artists, and managing outreach and registrations. Despite the challenge of introducing these new creative areas to the community, I reached the maximum registration limit. Additionally, I co-facilitated some of the workshops and ensured their smooth execution. In the coming months, workshops with different experts will be organised at varying frequencies to continue providing children with diverse and enriching experiences.
learning showcase
Mixed Media Zine
Creations by 20 children from the workshop series at Kauri were curated into an interactive online zine, featuring a compilation of stop-motion films, stories, zine GIFs, an art gallery, publications, and more. This colorful page, showcasing the imagination and creativity of the children, was read by more than 200 people and remains accessible to anyone interested in exploring it.
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I worked on every aspect of the zine's production, from documenting creations to designing, editing, and curating the content. Through an interactive layout, the zine is both immersive and easy to navigate.
space and design
Children's Library
The children's library at Kauri is my favourite room, and it’s a space that captivates visitors as soon as they step inside. It houses a carefully curated collection of level-specific children's books on themes such as people and places, art, identity, social movements, and folk stories, among others. The library is thoughtfully designed as a reader-centred environment and visually engaging displays. It also features a digitised, user-friendly self-issue system that is both efficient and cost-effective.
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I led every aspect of the library’s creation—from designing the space and curating the book collection from various bookstores to developing the self-issue system.
outreach and engagement
Multi-Layered Launch Campaign
I led a comprehensive outreach and engagement campaign for Kauri, focusing on establishing the centre as a hub for children's creative engagement in Varanasi and across India. My role included everything from announcing open calls that resulted in a directory of over 100 artists from various fields, to raising general awareness through successful media pitches that led to coverage by platforms like Homegrown and Mint Lounge. I built Kauri's online presence by designing social media posts and reels, reaching 1 lakh accounts on Instagram and generating 2,000 interactions for posts related to Kauri until June 2024. I also used the website to showcase children's works, resulting in over 200 website views. Additionally, I developed marketing materials for in-person campaigns, directly reaching over 4,000 people and helping us exceed our workshop registration goals. This multi-layered campaign was instrumental in positioning Kauri as a new and exciting centre for children in Varanasi.
membership programme
Interest-based After School Program
I developed an interest-based after-school program designed to engage residents of the city by offering enriching activities in addition to Kauri's workshops on art and storytelling. This program includes a diverse range of offerings such as performance arts, music, and movement, all in collaboration with local artists. The initiative not only provides children with a platform to explore their creativity but also offers artists an opportunity to connect with young minds and share their craft. I worked on the development of this model, from conceptualising the program and building partnerships with artists to ensuring that the offerings were both enriching and aligned with the community’s needs. By providing these activities at affordable prices and fostering a community-centred environment, the program promises the holistic development of children while also promoting the local arts scene.
space and design
Renovating and Refurbishing Kauri's Space
Transformed an old building into a vibrant children's centre, blending creativity with sustainability. I was responsible for all aspects of the project, from the design of multi-purpose spaces using woodwork and cork for versatile display and learning areas, to upcycling scrap materials like old furniture and cloth into curtains, storage spaces and interactive features. I also focused on replacing concrete with green spaces, creating low-cost solutions that offered refreshing outdoor corners for children to explore. To complete the transformation, I designed and created murals and patterns that engaged visitors and reinforced Kauri's brand identity.
Collaborate with Kauri
​For more details and to explore the following opportunities, please contact us at mysticetimagazine@gmail.com:
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Conduct Workshops with Children: Collaborate with Kauri to conduct workshops in your field of expertise.
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Invite Kauri to Your Space: Host Kauri for art and storytelling workshops at your location. We design and facilitate workshops focusing on self-awareness and expression, tailored to the needs and interests of the participants.
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Curate a Children’s Library: Partner with us to curate a children’s library customised to your needs. We offer expert selection and arrangement of books for children aged 2 to 15 years.
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Co-Host an Event: Team up with Kauri to co-host events such as book launches, art exhibitions, or community gatherings. We provide a platform to showcase your work and engage with the community.
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Become a Member: Join Kauri as a member to access our workshops and events. Enjoy exclusive opportunities to participate in our programs and creative offerings.
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Visit Kauri
J 13/93, Left Wing, SN-1, near Water Tank, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Varanasi (Location)
Mon - Sat: 5pm - 7pm
Sunday: Closed