Moja Kori design festival

Korail, where one can find people from across Bangladesh. Countless stories of life and resilience are woven daily here. Three years ago, Paraa Bangladesh, supported by the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, began working in Korail to explore ways to establish a cultural center. Over a decade, Paraa has focused on research-based architecture, and this project aimed to create a hub for culture and capacity building that connects Korail residents with the city.

The Moja-Kori Design Festival marked the opening of Machan, Dhaka’s first community-driven cultural center. This four-day celebration, held across December 6, 7, 13, and 14, featured exhibitions, workshops, performances, games, and discussions, showcasing design’s role in fostering cultural connections. Workshops covered skills like upcycling, natural dyeing, and photography, while talks on experience sharing by residents and youth along with theatre and musical performances brought the people of Korail together. The festival’s concept - ‘Moja-Kori’ - translated to English as ‘let’s have fun’, is pushing the boundaries of design’s role in place-making.

Earlier in 2024, the Korail: City of Culture project hosted an artist residency program with nine residents whose works were displayed at the Moja Kori Festival.  With these initiatives, Machan began its journey as a hub for culture, skill exchange, and storytelling, aiming to connect Karail’s community with the wider world.

To know more about the residents

Korail, with its fascinating maze-like layout, inspired us to create a map to help our guests and visitors navigate the community with ease.

   

The Korail City of Culture initiative started with a community survey to understand what kind of cultural hub Korail residents wanted. Incorporating their input, Paraa developed a model cultural center, which has now taken shape in Ershad Field. Named “Machan,” meaning a stage or elevated platform, it symbolizes a platform for the community to share their stories with the outside world and work for the greater good. To ensure the center’s sustainability, Paraa has formed a caretaker team consisting of local youth and residents to manage its operations and nurture future leadership.