Sounds like fun

The workshops are launched after an interactive open mic session

For Shiv Tandan, the founder of the performing arts space Castiko in Versova, these are exciting times to live in. While the shift to the digital realm came with a whole new set of challenges for educators like him, Tandan embraced the change and with Castiko, employed unique methods to conduct workshops and sessions virtually that were interactive and fun. After a brief hiatus during the first lockdown, the space soon resumed virtual operations in the form of online open mics and sessions. This weekend, they are set to conduct their second virtual edition of the Castiko Carnival, a day-long series of online music workshops exclusively for adults with beginner lessons in guitar, keyboard, dance and vocals.

Shiv Tandan

"The way that we've structured our sessions captures the best of what offline sessions had to offer, combining it with activities we can only do online. We've managed to get teachers from around the world who are fantastic at what they do, which was not possible before. It was very difficult to get students and facilitators to come to our physical space, given the commute and the headaches around that. Now, everyone is at home and yet they have the opportunity to learn from the best," explains Tandan. "The idea of the carnival is to help people find the right fit in terms of lessons," he adds.

The programme scheduled for this weekend is divided into three sessions - guitar and keyboard, western vocals and dance, and Hindustani vocals and - will be held throughout the day. Each session begins with a launch party and an open mic so attendees are acquainted with each other. "We've kept it entertaining. An open mic launches all three sessions, where participants can come together, sing, perform and hang out for a bit that virtual environments don't often allow. Activities that typically make the session more ‘human' are missing in an online setting. So this is our way of breaking all that," Tandan signs off.

On: August 7, 10 am onwards
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 95