Junaid Bhat
Kashmir witnessed it again! Continuing its legacy of Open Mic sessions, Captured Illusions holds its 20th Open Mic Session of #LetMeSpeak on December 20th, 2020, with around 100 people at Bee’s Cafe, Baramulla.
The event was graced by the presence of Abdul Khaliq Shams, who was the Guest of Honor, along with other prominent poets; Masroor Muzaffar, Riyaz Rabbani, Sagar Sarfaraaz, Bilal Mian, and other budding writers.
Remarkably, Captured Illusions Magazine was started in September 2017 with a vision to create and appreciate the new ways of expressions that make sense, touch our soul, and respect the true essence of art and literature.
The first edition of the series was held in 2018. This time the event was attended by huge number of participants and audience.’ #LetMeSpeak’ is an initiative by Captured Illusions with a sole aim to promote local talent and help artists network.
Participants belonging to different age groups partook in the event with great vitality, offering space to young poets, writers, and literary readers. Speaking about the event, the Founder of the magazine, Mumin Bhatt said, “These Open Mics are extremely crucial for Kashmiri Artists to get them to network, build more confidence and allow them to learn what 5 mins on the mic feel like in real-world”.
Both the audience and the participants also came across excited and energetic about the event. Syed Majid- a participant, said,” As an artist, I believe events like these help you manifold to speak in front of a live audience. I always follow the Captured Illusions’ event religiously. They have helped me grow the artist in me. “An atmosphere like this gets you inspired from just being here,” said Bisma Shakir, a member of the audience. Another participant, a college student, marked, “I had an exam tomorrow but I couldn’t help myself from not coming. #LetMeSpeak introduced me to the art of presentation.”
The event was organized by Captured Illusions co-partnered with Darvesh & Co. Manknoo jewellers, Serve Streak, Print City, Iceland Enterprises.
Media partner: Junaid Bhat Photographer
Kashmir Despatch, Entertaining Kashmir.
