Bengaluru Youth Festival: Don't hoard, just share

What’s a better way to make a friend than sharing things with them? Make way for a Barter Party at the Bengaluru Youth Festival on February 26 and 27 at the Freedom Park. A one-of-a-kind bash, this aims to bring together the city’s young and restless to say no to hoarding and say yes to sharing!

While actors like Vinay Rajkumar and Radhika Apte will set the tone for the party by bringing things to exchange, you too can bring along anything from books and gadgets to fashion accessories and skills. Why? Because barter is better!

“The idea behind the event is to show that bartering can be more than just an exchange – it’s a way to meet new people and partake in the joy of sharing which you wouldn’t get if you bought the same things at a store,” says Amshula Prakash of Barterstreets, the organisers of the event.

“Moreover, it reduces consumption and helps people figure out ways in which they can put old things or their skills to use. Like they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” she adds. After successful book barter parties in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, this one will see a   designated barter counter where things people have brought will be on display for two days from 11 am to 9 pm. “This is wholly based on the idea of relative value and the value of the things or skills exchanged will be determined completely by the parties doing the exchange,” explains Amshula.

The idea takes after their app, Barterstreets that has found a receptive audience in Bengaluru. According to them, this city’s folk have put on offer everything from gadgets and a wheelchair to art, books and skills that include translation, language lessons, theatre, coding and frisbee lessons! Doesn’t get better than this, does it?

“Sometimes, when you try to tell something, people tend to look down upon it or the price at which it’s being offered. Only you know what it really means to you. At such an event, you can determine what it’s worth by swapping it with something you think is worthy enough,” says 23-year-old Nandini Naidu, a science student who believes in sustainable consumption.

Like Nandini, there are several others who believe this concept is golden. “Santes and bazaars have had a long tradition in Bengaluru. Some are urban adventures offering items at a steal and others gala soirees. There is also another long-standing tradition, a tradition where you are frowned upon if you bought a second-hand anything and things like this tackle that,” says Rishi Kumar, a software professional who is taking a printer, some chargers and books to the party