In the web of creativity
Neha Saini
Book clubs, dance classes, music concerts, jam-sessions, theatre plays… everything seems to have moved online during COVID-19 lockdown. Beating the pandemic blues by hosting virtual activities, many in Amritsar have found a way to engage while maintaining social distancing via the worldwide web. IGTv hostings to live Zoom sessions, creativity is flourishing through several online streaming and interaction portals, keeping the world connected as a new opportunity comes calling.
A story to tell
“Hosting an online literary interaction or poetry symposium is relatively easier and effective than traditional ways of hosting live events,” says Prof Gurpratap Khairah, an educator and a writer. Khairah has been curating literary sessions for Majha House, a literary and cultural space, along with Preeti Gill, patron of Majha House. “We have hosted story-telling sessions with award-winning writer Paro Anand; held interactions with prominent literary names, including Singapore-based author Anurag Tripathi, Nabita Das, London-based Jhilmil Breckenridge and many more. Going online has created a global audience for us while also giving us a reason to spend the lockdown productively,” he says. Of course, the literary discourse has continued through online sessions, with each session inviting participation of 70 people. “It’s a good average considering the niche audience we usually get for the otherwise live events,” he says.
Majha House has been hosting live music sessions as well, curating specific events according to the age of the target audience. Whether it was a storytelling session for pre-teens with Paro Anand or a poetry symposium featuring poet Amy Singh to Meera bai’s bhakti poetry; motivational talk for parents on dealing with psychological and behavioural change of kids during lockdown, the Majha House’s digital re-invention is praiseworthy.
Book it all
Book clubs, specifically, have flourished during lockdown as many readers have found a new way to connect online. Prof Venus Singh, a teacher at the department of chemistry, GNDU, Amritsar, has recently conducted a virtual book club event with a surprisingly positive response. “Usually, when we host regular book clubs meetings, we used to get 15-20 students to participate. But this time, our first virtual meeting had 60 participants. Even readers, who usually are not a member of our book club, were actively present,” he shares.
The reason, he says, could be the organic nature of a virtual interaction. “It is convenient as you are sitting in the comfort of your home and get to engage creatively with an audience from across the country or even world, which makes the entire experience more enriching. Then there are no hassles or detailed preparations required like in case of a traditional live interaction.”
Music has been a life-saver for many during the lockdown. As the world’s leading musicians and artistes go online to stream virtual concerts in their efforts to raise funds for those facing hardships, there is a local effort to bring music live to those who live by it.
From amateur performances to live sessions to professional drop-in learning sessions, music has been the best way to beat lockdown blues. “Virtual music rooms and concerts have become a lifeline for musicians to stay connected with their audience. The digital intimacy has kept alive the relationship we have with people, even in times of social distancing,” shares Supnandan Deep, a singer and Sufi artiste from Amritsar. A PCS officer, Supnandan has been performing for her audience through social media channels. “Whether it’s a video of my riyaaz or a fan request, I make sure that I stay connected with them. Sometimes I post random performance videos, which get a good response.” She has also been taking singing classes online, “It’s a circle for me — I teach music online and learn as well. Though, as a traditionalist, I miss the live energy of stage concert or performance,” she says.
Apart from literary and creative discourse, virtual communication has lent support to several causes as well. Gurleen Arora, a 27-year-old operations manager at a construction company, has been part of a campaign Bloody Pure, supported by an NGO, KADAM, to create awareness regarding menstrual hygiene. “We have been running several educative programmes in schools regarding the subject before the lockdown. Now, we run the campaign digitally, hosting several art and literary competitions that are open for all and also help in reaching out with the message,” says Gurleen. Conceptualising creative campaigns for breaking the taboos around menstrual hygiene, she believes the digital campaigns are getting a better response than field ones.
