Compete for a cause

Artwork submitted by Bhumi Gupta

This pandemic has brought out different shades of our personalities despite being locked up at home. While some of us have used this time to discover our inner master chefs, others have resolved to pen odes in the form of poetry, and many are seeking refuge in art.

If the lockdown has allowed you to rekindle your old hobby, be it art, poetry or story writing, non-profit trust Secure Giving offers a platform called Lockdown Diaries to share your best works and compete for a cause.

Artwork submitted by Astha Shah

Interested folk can submit their best short stories, art and poetry, and stand a chance to win prizes, including a stunning monograph by Atul Dodiya, stationery, limited edition posters, signed artworks and books, quirky sunglasses and vouchers. The winners will be selected after the submitted works are assessed by a panel of eminent personalities. Winning in a particular category will offer them the opportunity to participate in a virtual workshop with some of the judges.

The jury includes gallerists, curators and artists such as Urmila Kanoria, Roshni Vadehra, Rukshaan Krishna, and Michelle Poonawala, author Ardashir Vakil and poet Arundhati Subramaniam, among others.

Artwork submitted by Pooja Aggarwal

The proceeds from the registration fees (R250) will go towards supporting non-profit Concern India Foundation. "With the onset of this pandemic, we realised the urgent need to raise funds to continue our work in key sectors like education, health and community development. And one of the answers to this was Lockdown Diaries," shares Kavita Shah, CEO, Concern India Foundation.

Kavita Shah

Shah adds that the response from judges and participants was phenomenal. "Nearly 100 entries have come in so far, and there are numerous requests to launch competitions in other segments like photography. We have plenty of ideas up our sleeve that we are looking forward to launching," she shares.

Log on to securegiving.net/lockdowndiaries

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news