Does performing poetry in near darkness sound like your thing?

At an event this weekend, amateur poets will perform in near darkness, keeping their identities secret

At an event this weekend, amateur poets will perform in near darkness, keeping their identities secret.

The floor and the mic stand will have fairy lights taped to them, and everybody will be given glow sticks at the event(Illustration: Siddhant Jumde/HT)

If stage fright has held you back from performing, here’s an open mic with a twist. This weekend, a ‘blind poetry’ event will take place in the city, where poets can recite original work to a roomful of audience, but in the dark.

Read: From pubs to art galleries: How poetry is getting cool again

There will be all but two sources of light. The floor and the mic stand will have fairy lights taped to them, and everybody will be given glow sticks. If you like what you hear, wave it and let the poet know.

Naturally then, reading off your phone or a book is not an option. “So, this platform will encourage spoken word pieces,” says Aranya Johar (17), co-founder of the start-up More Than Mics, which is organising the event.

This is More Than Mics’s first event, and Johar and her co-founder Prachee Mashru (also a class 12th student) are avid poets. Johar says, “I have been performing poetry for five years now, and Prachee has been performing for around a year. So, we merged my experience with her expectations for the poetry scene, and came up with blind poetry.”

The appeal of the concept, Johar says, lies in the fact that a poet will not be judged based on how they look or dress. “Many tend to do that unconsciously,” she says, adding. “This will also encourage new poets to take the stage and not be intimidated by the experienced poets they might be performing with. Poets can also perform personal pieces.” The identity of the amateur poets will remain a secret.

A couple of featured poets will be performing too, including popular city-based rapper Enkore. “That’s the only time we’ll have two torch lights facing them,” Johar says.

Be there

What: Blind Poetry will take place on June 17, 7pm.

Where: The Hive, Huma Mansion, opposite Ahmed Bakery, Chuim Village Road, Khar (W)

Entry: Rs 150 on bookmyshow.com

Call: 096199 62969