It’s now been so long since the pandemic began that some of the adaptations that performing artistes made to overcome the challenging situation, are starting to take on a sense of permanence. One of these is cross-border collaborations, which flourished over the past year because people from across oceans found themselves in the same choppy waters. And an event this week will highlight how global artistes joined forces using technological hacks, among other things. Its aim is to make sense of how these collaborations came about so that, going forward, people can use the same techniques to keep virtual shows alive even when things get back to normal.

Harkat Studios is organising the workshop series after receiving a grant from the Asia Europe Foundation, which promotes cultural alliances between the two continents. Harkat co-founder Michaela Talwar tells us that the line-up includes a masterclass by noted playwright Mahesh Dattani, adding, “He used to work a lot with theatre groups from the US and UK even before the pandemic, and continued doing the same when last year’s lockdown began. It’s been an incredible learning experience for him, and he will share tips and hacks for actors so that they can gain the same knowledge.”