The minute we say classical — in literature, dance, music or art — a set of grandiose stipulations nudge our consciousness. Of proper attire, solemn invocation and august appreciation, the stage probably is the lynchpin to a concert’s structure. But will music not enrapture listeners past ‘the comfortable’? First Edition Arts (FEA) is surveying the prospects of that question. The Mumbai-based art group has been experimenting with innovative formats for the past six years. “Our work stems from our belief in documenting art. That’s how or why we started filming Indian classical music,” says Devina Dutt, co-founder at FEA. The Blue Planet series, an unusual compilation, travels with 21 Hindustani and Carnatic classical musicians to 20 different spots in the country that call for ecological consciousness. From the most polluted neighbourhood of Ennore in Chennai to the neglected Tuensang village in Nagaland, the project is hunting down music’s role in the wider world.   

Tuensang village in Nagaland. pics/first edition arts