04 May,2021 04:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Suresh Karkera
Youngsters take a dip in the sea at Colaba Bunder to beat the heat.
Vinod Jadhav outside St Xavier's College. Pic courtesy/Daniel Marsh
Earlier this week, Meher Marfatia's column in Sunday mid-day revisited street vendors in the city, who are left grappling with the pandemic-led economic devastation. Among them was Jai Ganesh Sandwich Stall tucked by the second entrance of St Xavier's College for over three decades. On learning of their beloved sandwichwala's plight, the college's alumni have begun spreading the word about chipping in financially to support the stall. On the other hand, owners Vinod Jadhav and Prakash More are now open to accepting bulk orders for their delicacies, including the Malhar special (inspired by the college's iconic cultural fest) and Pasta noodle sandwich. "We'll accept a minimum order of 20 pieces and can cater to South Mumbai. A day's notice would help," Jadhav said. Those interested can reach out at 8691974500.
Paintings, sculptures and artefacts at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) are going to come alive in stories of the past, thanks to an engaging series of online sessions curated by the Mumbai Storytellers Society in collaboration with the Children's Museum at CSMVS. For instance, in the first session of Stories on Sunday that took place last week, society founder Usha Venkatraman dove into the world of gods and demons through paintings at the museum. "We have been on a mission to revive oral traditions, and this series is aimed at looking at the museum from home, virtually," Venkatraman told this diarist about the workshops for kids. "The idea is to look at the paintings, sculptures and other artefacts, and then tell the stories. Next Sunday, we'll look at Chinese paintings, then after that, soak in some Roman and Greek mythology, travel to Japan, and then come back to Nepal and India," she shared. The virtual sessions, on every Sunday till May 30, will also include hands-on activities to get children interested in the exhibits. Interested folk can look for more details on the social media handles of the Mumbai Storytellers Society and register at events@csmvs.in.
Grim doesn't even begin to describe the current situation in India. It's a reality that Manasi Prasad, museum director, Indian Music Experience Museum in Bengaluru, is aware of. "While we can't run away from reality, we also need some outlet to calm our minds. As a musician, I know that when I'm singing - even if it's just as simple as chanting Om or singing a raga, my mind is only focused on that and not on the external world," explains Prasad, about what prompted her and her team to start the virtual Saturday series, Online Chain of Positivity. The sessions, led by the museum's faculty members, will witness spiritual and uplifting music. "Every week, we do a combination of chanting, learning a song from one of the Bhakti poets, and generally just experiencing music together." Want to tune in? Head to @indianmusicexperience on Instagram to register.
Performance venues shutting in the city has once again affected the bustling theatre community, many of whom have been struggling to meet basic needs. Theatre Dost is an initiative started by a few theatrewallahs to provide basic prescribed COVID-19 medicines and financial support for doctor's fees and meals, as well as act as a reliable resource centre for humanitarian aid including ration, essentials and teleconsultation with doctors, among other needs. Studio Tamaasha co-founder Sapan Saran, who initiated it, shared, "There was a growing helplessness among us with all that's happening around. The needs were very clear. So, we decided to build resources among our small community, which is quite unorganised and unprotected." To pitch in or seek aid, email them at theatredost@gmail.com.
Since making a shift into the virtual world, the Serendipity Arts Foundation (SAF) created Serendipity Arts Virtual in 2020 to explore opportunities in the digital sphere. In continuation of that initiative, SAF has announced a grant to two collectives, groups, or duos with a funding of up to R1 lakh per project. "We started the Serendipity Arts Virtual in 2020 to explore the opportunities offered by the digital space and since then, we have been constantly re-imagining the space and the projects that can be experienced through the digital formats. The grant furthers our quest to find such projects that are well attributed to the virtual space," Smriti Rajgharia, director of SAF, explained.
