Archdiocese of Bombay organises digital talent show for parishioners

Father Nigel Barrett

With no choir or group activities being permitted in the church due to the prevailing Coronavirus pandemic in the city, the Archdiocese of Bombay has come up with a new idea for people to showcase the skills and talents that they have learnt over the past four months during the lockdown.

On Friday, it announced (through its website and social media handles) that it will be organising an Archdiocesan talent show called 'Inspired By The Spirit,' which will encourage parishioners in the city to send in their entries - be it a song, dance, puppetry, stand-up comedy or anything else - to the Archdiocese. The entries will then be judged by a group of panellists, and selected entries will be streamed on the Archdiocese's YouTube channel every Saturday starting July 25.

Certain criteria have been laid down by the Archdiocese's office. Participants are required to be Catholic parishioners belonging to the Archdiocese of Bombay. Performances can be solo, in groups, or choirs, with emphasis on the talent that is 'inspired.' Contemporary and secular acts/performances will be accepted as long as 'they are done tastefully,' although performances based on Gospel music/Inspirational themes would be 'preferred.'

Speaking to mid-day, Father Nigel Barrett, the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay, said that participants are required to mail their videos to social@archdiocesebombay.org in 16:9 ratio (landscape mode) between July 10 and 18 - video quality should preferably be in 1080p or 720p and submitted in MP4, MPEG4 or MOV formats. "There are lots of people who have been locked up inside their homes due to the COVID-19 and are unable to socialise - but most of these people have learnt new skills and talents. So we thought why not have an online contest?" he said. "A panel of experts will look at all the different entries and select a few to broadcast on our YouTube channel. The talent show is being done not for prizes but to showcase people's talents and encourage them to come forward and participate."

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