Shabnam initiated The Kabir Project journeys in 2002 and has since been exploring the philosophy of Kabir and other mystics through a deep engagement with their oral folk traditions. Her inspiration and joy in this poetry and its wisdom has taken the shape of documentary films and a digital archive, singing and performing, translations and curations, urban festivals and rural yatras and more recently, infecting students with the challenge and wonder of mystic poetry. All this is part of her work at The Kabir Project in Srishti, Bangalore. She has also worked on gender issues through journalism, video and community radio.