Aawaz is a theatre festival celebrating the art of street theatre with teams from different colleges presenting plays on different socio-political issues. But this year in the wake of the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak, Aawaz’21, was in the form of an Open-Mic event, a first in the Delhi Collegiate Theatre Circuit (DCTC). The fest was organised at Muktangan, Usha Farms, Dwarka on the 10th of April 2021 Saturday. The mandated covid protocols and social distancing measures were strictly ensured throughout the event. The theme of Aawaz’21 was ‘Vintage’, and each corner truly reflected the vintage essence, be it the venue decor, the outfits, or even the themes of the performed art pieces. The decoration was exquisitely done with a soothing colour palette, repurposed furniture, lanterns, wall hangings, fairy lights and many props like a gramophone and retro telephones to add to the aesthetic. Zero-waste and no-littering policy was also ensured at the venue.
Over 30 artists presented their pieces, ranging from stand up comedy, poetry, storytelling to singing and instrumental pieces. The participants came from various colleges from all over Delhi, including Hansraj College, GB Pant College, Gargi College, IINTM etc. The guest artist for the event was Mr Shrey Gupta, a very talented percussive fingerstyle guitarist and songwriter, who has been in the field for over 11 years. He graced the event and made it even more vibrant, getting everyone to sing along to his music and leaving everyone mesmerized. We also had the pleasure of having the Founder and Chairpersons of Muktangan, Mr Rakesh Vaid and Mrs Aradhna Pradhan, grace our event with their presence.
Aawaz provided a platform for amateur artists to showcase their talents and connect with the audience by providing a comfortable, positive and safe environment. The generosity of the sponsors- Vega Beauty, the Cope Beauty, Play Rabbits, Crazy About Startups, DS tour and events, WC Dream India, Herod and Little Mix by Manika, helped making the event a huge success. Eat My News and DU Updates were the media sponsors, which helped Aawaz maximize its outreach to a wider audience on various social media platforms.