# The Steps, Bandra (St. Stephen's Steps) · Steps Cultural Foundation

> The Steps is Mumbai's first true 24×7 pedestrian square: a redesigned public staircase below St. Stephen's Church on Mount Mary, Bandra West, open around the clock, free for all, with no cars and no gates. It is cared for by Steps Cultural Foundation, a non-profit that runs the annual Festival at The Steps, the Mural Art Project and year-round art, culture and education programmes across Mumbai.

Official website: https://www.stepsculturalfoundation.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestepsbandra/ (@thestepsbandra)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thestepsbandra2783
Email: stepsculturalfoundation@gmail.com
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5XJgoivK47d9XA9VA

Note on names: "The Steps, Bandra" is the public space and Steps Cultural Foundation. It is not affiliated with any café or business using a similar name nearby.

## The place
- Location: St. Stephen's Steps, Mount Mary, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050, India.
- 1,880 m² of public space; about 100 m long and 12 m wide, a climb of five storeys (15 m) up to Mount Mary Road.
- A zigzag ramp woven through the steps gives universal access for prams, wheelchairs, elders and children; every existing tree was kept.
- Open 24×7, free, universally accessible, no cars and no gates.

## How it was made
- In 2017 the staircase was a derelict dumping ground, and the first municipal plan was to turn it into a road.
- Designed by Abraham John Architects (Abraham John, Alan Abraham and Anca Florescu Abraham) through Bombay Greenway, the practice's urban design arm.
- Built 2017–2019 by the BMC H West Ward, with the local municipal councillor and residents.
- Award: EDRA Great Places Award 2021, Place Design, chosen from 104 international submissions (Environmental Design Research Association with Project for Public Spaces).

## Festival at The Steps
- A free, open-air winter festival held every year since December 2019, led by Anca Florescu Abraham.
- 7th edition of Festival at The Steps (2026–27): eight Saturday evenings, 19 December 2026 to the finale on 6 February 2027. Curated by Anca Florescu Abraham and Dhanashree Diwane, with volunteers.
- Music, dance (Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, contemporary, folk and more), theatre, art, book swaps, workshops and conversations, free and open to all.
- Each festival has its own tree installation: Unity in Diversity Tree (2019), A Single Line (2020), The Family Tree / Kite Tree (2021), The Nest Tree (2022), The Box Tree (2025); a new tree is unveiled on opening night, 19 December 2026.

## STEP BY STEP (year-round programme)
- STEP BY STEP is Steps Cultural Foundation's year-long public art platform, placing partners at the intersection of culture, community and urban transformation, and culminating in the annual Festival at The Steps.
- Workshops, readings and experiences run all year in schools, libraries, colleges, museums and community spaces across Mumbai, with schools and NGOs.
- Core festival team: Anca Florescu Abraham, Dhanashree Diwane, Zahabia Abid, Mohit Chhatrapati, Tina Sutaria, Shruti D'Souza and Sanne Gandhi.

## Mural Art Project
- Every year the walls of The Steps are repainted through an open call; a jury of artists and cultural leaders selects the designs, and neighbours paint alongside the artists.
- Every year Bombay Greenway also creates an interactive public art installation at The Steps, exploring a social, cultural or ecological theme.

## Get involved
- Mural artists, performers, volunteers, photographers and creators can apply via the website.
- Schools: installation-art concepts close 30 October 2026, 5 pm. Brief: https://www.stepsculturalfoundation.org/schools.html
- Partnerships and CSR: Steps Cultural Foundation welcomes festival, programme, mural and year-round partners; programmes are aligned with Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013. Contact stepsculturalfoundation@gmail.com.

## Pages
- [Home](https://www.stepsculturalfoundation.org/): the place, its making, the art, the festival, the Foundation, how to get involved, press and visiting.
- [For schools](https://www.stepsculturalfoundation.org/schools.html): the 2026–27 schools installation-art brief.