Art and mind

Jackie Thakkar and Megha Rao

A month ago BBC Comedy released a video that featured a parody support group extending help to people "who are so woke that they are not being able to have any fun at all". While it was an intelligently scripted and funny sketch, it also made us think of the way in which much of what the youth is trying to say gets lost in a sea of memes, trolls and mockery.

As much as people would like to discredit it, away from the world of reactionary commentary, young people are trying to build a vibrant, supportive, conscientious and proactive community and in Mumbai, no less. One example would be Vitamin Stree, a gender-centric platform founded in 2017 that selects relevant themes, ranging from the environment to this month's pick - mental health; and then creates content around them. Taking it a step further, they have organised VS Mic Check, an event that will showcase 10 poets, all performing a spoken word piece on mental health. The initiative hopes to take these conversations offline, while creating a safe, interesting and appealing environment.

"We're aiming to create a tangible change by stimulating healthy discussions. We want to collaborate with like-minded individuals, reach out to our audience and build a community," says head of the organisation, Tara Kapur.

Tara Kapur

Speaking of why they chose spoken word as the medium for the event, associate producer Pankhuri Ranjan tells us, "We believe that expression, art and performance are some of the most effective and engaging ways to open up a conversation and get the audience to participate."

Pankhuri Ranjan

The host for the show and performer, Jackie Thakkar echoes this when he says, "It's a safe space for artists and audiences alike who are looking to talk about their issues. As someone with high functioning anxiety myself, I am beyond elated to host it."
But it's artiste Megha Rao - also on the roster for the event - who sums the thought most poignantly. "For me, speaking about mental health through my poetry isn't about creating awareness or telling ignorant people 'hey please believe me', it's more about telling people who are suffering 'we can get through this together.'

ON July 20, 8 pm to 10 pm
AT OverAct, Alternative Theatre Space, Aram Nagar Part 2, Versova.
RSVP facebook.com/VitaminStree

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