The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Bombay blues: Citizens make the most of the pleasant change in weather, by the sea at Dadar. Pic/Shadab Khan
A taste of God’s Own Country
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The 2019 edition of the festival was focused on Maharashtra’s cultural heritage
Today is your last chance to check out a unique virtual fest at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport museum, Jaya HE. The museum has been hosting the third edition of the Aaghosham carnival with events that showcase the cultural diversity of the state of Kerala. The festival enables audiences from across the globe to attend storytelling sessions, talks and forums that explore the state’s cultural history, culinary traditions, textiles industries, and more. “We’ve been focusing on the culture, social structure, arts and rich heritage, among other lesser-known facets, of Kerala. We aimed to bring a note of positivity and adventure to patrons from across the globe by providing them the opportunity to explore the indigenous culture and heritage of the state from their homes,” said Rekha Nair, the museum’s director. Tune into the celebrations on their social media platforms.
A musical journey
Did you know that Indian Ocean bassist and composer Rahul Ram was an IIT-ian? Fans of Ram can get up and close with the musician at a virtual session organised by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) along with SIFF Academy of Classical and Contemporary Arts on June 26, while contributing to a good cause. Titled Hitting the High Notes, proceeds from the event will help IFA in supporting artists. Menaka Rodriguez, head, resource mobilisation and outreach, said that the live conversation between executive director of IFA Arundhati Ghosh and Ram will be interspersed with music. “He’ll chat about how he got into music, his inspirations and how the band came together. He’ll also talk about his engagement with social issues like the Narmada Bachao Movement and Aisi Taisi Democracy.” Head to IFA’s Facebook page to book your seat.
Catch them young
Children aged between five and seven years can take a real shot at exploring their musical side, while learning from maestros. The National Centre for the Performing Arts’ Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) has designed an introductory music training programme called Prelude - Your First Note. The 10-week online course, shared Marat Bisengaliev, music director of SOI, will be taught by members of the orchestra. “Using a simple, small and inexpensive instrument like the recorder, kids can develop coordination, and fine motor and listening skills. Although western classical music is the backbone of the programme, they’ll learn basics such as reading of notes, rhythm patterns and pitch. If a child decides to learn an instrument in a different genre after the programme, the foundational music skills are easily transferable,” Bisengaliev added. Log on to soimumbai.com/prelude to register.
Saying it with Pride
Lopamudra Mohanty; Jim Tharakan
June calls for stories of Pride and the folks at TabooDana, an online platform, have geared up to host a storytelling session to showcase these narratives. The storyteller for their next virtual session on June 26 is Lopamudra Mohanty, founder of the learning space Big Buddy World. “When the pandemic began, we went virtual and started holding sessions on concepts like sexuality, erotic poetry, mental health, and more. Next week, Mohanty will narrate a few LGBTQiA+-themed stories. Our tagline is Be Untwisted. We’re hoping for people, who might have twisted ideas or concepts, to walk in and walk out with inspiring stories,” said Jim Tharakan, founder of TabooDana. The 90-minute session will be followed up with a 45-minute long discussion. “The session will focus on being proud of your sexual orientation, and celebrating everyone’s differences for what they are,” added Tharakan.
Support for the artistically inclined
The past year has underlined the need for meaningful arts-based digital content, aimed specifically at children. And Kolkata-based non-profit ThinkArts is inviting artistes in India to create digital work for kids, to ensure they have access to quality arts content, with its ThinkArts Grant 2021. Programme manager Analina Sanyal told this diarist that they are looking to zero in on five such applicants who will be offered a sum of R50,000 to craft an original digital piece for young audiences. “The only criteria is that it has to be at least 20 minutes long. It can be non-verbal, in English or in any Indian language, and across any form. Previously, we’ve had submissions in the form of theatre, clowning, stop-motion, audio stories, puppetry, etc, too,” Sanyal explained. Interested folk can head to thinkarts.co.in/grant.html to apply by June 30.
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