It is a universally acknowledged truth that the pandemic has given the entertainment industry a sucker punch where it hurts the most. But all is not lost. Even a cloud as dark as the times we are living in has a silver lining. And one positive fallout of the entire shift to the digital medium is that it's helped dissolve boundaries. You can be sitting in Mumbai, and still log on to catch an event that's being organised out of Kolkata, featuring artistes from places as remote as Manipur and the Sunderbans. That's what will transpire this weekend, at a multi-cultural festival called ArtsAloneTogether.

It's got a bit of everything, from storytelling, dance, theatre, music to even a magic show. The idea is for people to choose an event of their liking from the day-long itinerary and then pay only for the individual performances that they select. The artistes include Kiran Kumar, who will present an interdisciplinary piece that involves movement and a travelogue; Park Circus, a hip-hop crew; magician David Nobo; Nachom Arts Foundation, a dance troupe from Imphal; Mangrove Theatre Centre from the Sunderbans who will showcase a recorded play; and Shillong-based blues veteran Lou Majaw.