New Delhi: Carnatic vocalist and author T.M. Krishna along with few others have raised around Rs 32 lakh to be distributed among 919 artists who are battling loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a post shared on Twitter Thursday, Krishna said, “With all your support we have been able to disburse ₹31,90,900 to 919 artists. There are so many more artists on the margins who need our support. Please do donate generously and share the details of what we have been able to collectively do.”
With all your support we have been able to disburse ₹31,90,900 to 919 artists. There are so many more artists on the margins who need our support. Please do donate generously and share the details (below) of what we have been able to collectively do. #supportartists #Corona pic.twitter.com/hENIMc1v2x
— T M Krishna (@tmkrishna) April 23, 2020
Called the Covid-19 Artists Fund, it supports makeup artists, bharatnatyam dancers, instrument makers, light and sound technicians, and members of regional theatre. Artists who play the veena or other such musical instruments as well as folk dancers will also be supported via this fund.
The initiative is both crowdfunded and supported by the Sumanasa Foundation (a non-profit organisation that was formed in 2004 to provide aid and support to talented young students in underdeveloped rural areas) and the Bhuvana Foundation (an outfit dedicated to uplifting the underserved and disadvantaged children and families of India).
The artists fund has about 680 donors and supports all women and men, including those from the LGBTQIA community.
Other initiatives
Several other artists have similarly hosted online shows to help fund the Covid-19 fight in India.
On 11-12 April, comedian Tanmay Bhat hosted Stay Home for India, a two-day live marathon event on his YouTube channel, which featured over 80 artists. Noted comedians such as Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, Varun Grover, Zakir Khan, Sumukhi Suresh and Mallika Dua took part in the event, along with social media influencers Kusha Kapila and Dolly Singh, and sports host Gaurav Kapur.
The two-day comedy marathon, which raised over Rs 17 lakh, featured games such as dumb charades, roasts, PUBG, and general knowledge quizzes. The proceeds from the event were donated to buy equipment for frontline health workers and help marginalised communities.
The Covid-19 lockdown was extended to 3 May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to a surge in cases. The pandemic has so far infected more than 16,000 people in India and killed over 680.
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