Community-led online radio meets live-streaming across Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces
The Hindu
Whether you are planning a live on filmmaking or just a live-streamed jam session, the rise of drop-in audio social spaces such as Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces across India harken back to the era of community radio
(Subscribe to our Today's Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click to subscribe for free.) Every night, Tamil Twitter users briefly pause work from home pressures and COVID-19 updates, then sing their heart out. No judge says, ‘Your pitching needs to be better’. All they get as feedback are hearts and 100-point emojis. Spaces has enabled the Twitterati to converse about many things, but music is definitely the one winning hearts at the moment. Over the last few weeks, spaces dedicated to composers Ilaiyaraaja, AR Rahman, Harris Jayaraj and Deva have had many users tuned in. “It never goes wrong with music. It’s not like a debate where you pick a side. Here, you can just be yourself and unwind,” says Sindhu Ganesh (@sinofagan), a Chennai-based brand development executive, who has hosted three Spaces sessions so far.
A vacuum cleaner haunted by a ghost is the kind of one-liner which can draw in a festival audience looking for a little light-hearted fun to fill the time slots available between the “heavier” films which require much closer attention. A useful ghost, the debut feature of Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke being screened in the world cinema category at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), even appears so in the initial hour. Until, the film becomes something more, with strong undercurrents of Thailand’s contemporary political history.

Sustainability is not an add-on, but stamped firmly into the process: every piece is biodegradable, waste-free and unembellished, free from glitter or beads. “Products should be sustainable and biodegradable so that our planet is not harmed,” says Anu Elizabeth Alexander, a student of Sishya, Adyar. At a recent exhibition, the stars she made sold the fastest, followed by the small diamonds. “I would like people to know about the process, how it is created, and that it is sustainable,” says Anu. Infanta Leon from Kotturpuram developed an interest in crochet as a teenager. It was a hobbyhorse that evolved into a steed that would help her embark on a journey of identity-shaping creative engagement. She started making Christmas-themed decor two years ago, spurred by a desire to craft safe, eco-friendly toys for children. “With a toddler at home, and my elder child sensitive to synthetic materials, I wanted to create items that were gentle, durable and tactile,” she explains. Her earliest creations were small amigurumi toys which gradually evolved into ornaments that could adorn Christmas trees with warmth and charm.











