when sabyasachi mukherjee director general of the chhatrapati shivaji maharaj vastu sangrahalaya csmvs museum posed a compelling question a fortnight agowhy cant we devote a few days to celebrating the asiatic society at csmvs premises and showcase their unseen collection of books and relics or vice versahe wasnt merely theorising in a stroke of creative matchmaking mukherjee had orchestrated an informal gathering of at least 35 heads of mumbais art science and cultural institutionsranging from dr bhau daji lad museum mani bhavan prithvi theatre ncpa ngma and jj school of art to mumbai port trust nehru science centre urban design research institute directorate of archaeology museums and tata institute of fundamental researchfor an event aptly called can we meet and talk please at the csmvs campus on january 30 to forge friendships and brainstorm on an exchange of programmes within each others institutions its been a long time desire to meet our colleagues from other arts and cultural institutions learn from each other and understand common challenges leadership roles often shift and we all remain busy in various activities but no institution can grow in isolation said mukherjee emphasising the need to unite and support one another in the postcovid19 era postpandemic many establishments are facing challenges be it financial constraints or administrative hurdles despite having remarkable collections and archival treasures it begged the question how can we collectively reinforce the significance of these institutions help smaller organisations and ensure their continuity an exchange of programmes within institutions thats the outcome im expecting from our gathering he addedin a refreshing display of camaraderie the citys cultural and academic leaders heeded his call and came together to candidly discuss each others predicaments extend a helping hand and familiarise themselves with one anothers establishmentsthere were so many of us who did not know each other we got a chance to get introduced to new institutions and acquaint ourselves with our peers said brinda miller chairperson of the kala ghoda association noting some of the intriguing revelations that emerged from the discussions there were lots of surprises we learnt about maps in the asiatic societys archives or books that the cama institute houses that no one knows about and are in need of restoration a representative of st xaviers college told us about a rare mineral collection that people could come and see she said recounting how it sparked her thoughts on ways in which the kala ghoda festival could be a potential conduit for collaboration with these institutions that could further their cause umesh rastogi director of the nehru science centre dwelled on the interconnections between science art and history and their broader appeal beyond each of their specialised audiences science centres primarily cater to students and science scholars while museums attract those keen on history and arts however theyre all intertwined and relevant to all he said citing a successful collaboration with csmvs for a live sky observation programme such collaborations enable institutions to leverage their expertise and resources for