The two-day Labour Arts Festival was held at the Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Art Gallery in Thane, inaugurated by Minister Ashish Shelar on Sunday. The festival was organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra.

A total of 100 labour artists, including ragpickers, sanitation workers, domestic helpers, transgender artists, Tamasha performers, Gondhali artists, Sambhal players, visually impaired artists, folk devotees, Vasudev artists, fisherfolk, and Tarpa artists, performed during the two-day festival.

Adv. Ashish Shelar, Minister of Cultural Affairs, said, "For the past 80-85 days, we have successfully conducted nearly 170 cultural events focusing on the preservation, promotion, and provision of opportunities to artists. We have planned around 1,200 cultural events over the next 365 days." Shelar emphasized at the festival that the art of skill must not only be developed but also preserved for future generations.

MP Naresh Mhaske, Sanjay Waghule, President of Thane City, Shriram Pandey, Deputy Director of Cultural Affairs, Surendra Vaidya, Director of Samarth Bharat Platform, and others attended the festival. Minister Shelar honoured six distinguished artists for their contributions to labour arts and its preservation.