Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Chin Up, buttercup

A woman squeezes in a quick threading session while awaiting her train for Bhuj, at Dadar station.

Breaking good news

City-based artistes seeking to showcase their breaking skills can now audition for Red Bull BC One, the world's biggest one-on-one breaking competition. This year, the qualifiers will be held online due to pandemic-imposed safety precautions. Sixteen b-boys and four b-girls will proceed to the national championships and one b-boy and one b-girl travelling to the global finals, to be held in Gdansk, Poland, in November.

B-boy Wildchild (Eshwar Tiwari), shared, "We are a small, hard-working community who support each other. I am excited that breaking is now officially recognised as an Olympic discipline." B-girl Jo (Johanna Rodrigues) added that she hopes that Indian breakers prepare well for 2024 Olympics. "We have got delayed because of the second wave here but hopefully by the end of 2021, things will get better." To participate, send your video to redbull.in/bcone.

Tuneful tribute

Father Stan Swamy's demise recently was bound to have an impact on the city's Jesuit community, since he belonged to the same congregation. Now, the Bombay Jesuits group has released a rap song that pays tribute to the deceased activist. The lyrics talk about how "his sacrifice won't go in vain" and how "in a world full of hate, love is possible". Fair warning: don't expect flawless musicianship here since this isn't a professional effort. But sometimes, it's not the quality of the music but the message that counts. Check out the track at @bombayjesuits on Instagram.

Connectivity, a game-changer

In the third volume of its annual global and culture trends report, audio streaming service provider Spotify has found that 70 per cent of millennials and 62 per cent of Gen Z users believe that streaming platforms have shaped how they connect with broader cultural trends. Listeners also felt that music and podcasts gave them a sense of community with 55 per cent of millennials and 47 per cent of Gen Zs sharing this view. In India, users turn to audio - whether music and podcasts - as a mental health resource; nearly half of those surveyed consider podcasters as authentic and trustworthy. In these difficult times, nearly 80 per cent of millennials and 70 per cent of Zs agreed that podcast hosts "sometimes feel like friends."

Sip on coffee, fix a contract

Legal counsel is often perceived as expensive and cumbersome by artists and creative professionals. To help change this perception, legal counselling platform Artistik License is offering creatives the opportunity to have their contracts reviewed and send legal queries to founder Manojna Yeluri, in exchange for a cup of coffee. Yeluri, who runs this as an annual campaign, shared, "I wanted to understand why creatives are hesitant to approach a lawyer. Was it the money? Was it because they didn't think it was necessary? I found the easiest barrier to remove was money." To seek her counsel, email mailus@artistiklicense.org with the subject #coffeeforcontracts by July 31.

Making a splash for kids

Excerpt from Water Party, Minaz Ansari

Last July, Mumbai Water Narratives was initiated as a platform to curate and host stories on water heritage, cultures, and practices in Mumbai. Spearheaded by Dr Sara Ahmed, founder Living Waters Museum and member of Global Network of Water Museums, it documents Mumbai's prolific water journey spanning heritage to public health. The initiative launched its first virtual exhibition Confluence in March 2021 to capture Mumbai's multifaceted relationship with water, from its rivers to its shores, from the tanker economy servicing high-rise apartments to the everyday water vulnerabilities. And now, they've released an illustrated book for children called Water Party (The People Place Project). "We believe that children are the future water-keepers and we wanted to help them understand how they could play a role in creating a sustainable and just future for children. The book helps them discover the wonders that exist in every drop. Although it's been written for children, it will connect across ages," shared Minaz Ansari, it's author. Get your copy at peopleplaceproject.com