The Friday List: From a taxidermy workshop to a lecture on migrant cultures in early India, your weekly calendar of virtual events

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise and fall every week, yet slowly and steadily a new normal has settled in. Restaurants and shops are now open with proper measures in place and travel has resumed. However, the need to maintain social distancing has meant avoiding large gatherings in public spaces and theatres, cinema halls, museums continue to remain closed. So, even as we have eased out of the most stringent of restrictions, the landscape of our engagements and weekly dosages of entertainment continues to be moderated digitally, through the screen.

Every Friday, we'll bring you a curated list of online experiences — performances, talks, tours, screenings — to mark on your weekly calendar. On this week's #FridayList: a taxidermy workshop, a lecture on migrant cultures in early India and Netflix's horror series, The Haunting of Bly Manor.

— Music, art and plays

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This weekend, Aasakta, a Pune-based theatre group will be staging an online performance, The Colour of Loss, based on the prolific author Han Kang's work, The White Book. A disquieting exploration of one writer wandering the blank pages of a notebook and coming to terms with the tragedy that has haunted her family, the story is a jarring narrative of powerful philosophy, the psychology of a fragile mind and the tenacity of the human spirit. Translated into English by Deborah Smith, the book was shortlisted for the 2018 International Booker Prize and in this webcast will be taken to the virtual stage by actors Mrinmayee Godbole, Manasi Bhawalkar, Dipti Mahadev and Ipshita. Haunting and evocative in turns, the performance, directed by Mohit Takalkar, is definitely a must attend for all fans of theatre.

To get your tickets for the performance, click here.

When: 9, 10, 11 October

Biodiversity by the Bay is an ongoing online virtual festival which celebrates music, comedy and art to raise awareness about climate issues and draw attention to Mumbai's diverse ecosystem. While the first week of the festival kicked off with a performance by the pop duo Parekh + Singh, and will go on to feature concerts by vocalist and actor Anushka Manchanda and singer and songwriter Nikhil D’Souza among others, the second week will play host to artistic interventions. Artists and designers are set to launch new collections with prominent names, like Shilo Shiv Suleman and Pia Alize displaying works that raise awareness about the Aarey forest, and Shweta Malhotra, whose artwork documents Mumbai's flamingoes. Brought about by Ministry of Mumbai's Magic and DeadAnt, this artistic and musical extravaganza is sure to be a highly entertaining experience.

When: 11 to 20 October (Design segment)

Where: Ministry of Mumbai's Magic's Instagram

Royal Opera House, Mumbai will be screening an excerpt of a poetry and spoken word performance titled, In Silence the Secret Speaks accompanied by a dance recital by Bharatnatyam exponent Lokesh Bhardwaj and a piano recital by Sahil Vasudeva, with musician and composer Shruthi Vishwanath on vocals. A performance inspired from a painting by the artist Seema Kohli, the poetry was produced as a verbal representation of this artwork and creates an effect that weaves together ancient and contemporary Indian traditions with the concept of constant creation and evolution. Tune in to catch this recital which promises to transcend the barriers of one art form fusing it seamlessly with another.

When: 10 October (6 pm)

Where: Royal Opera House, Mumbai's YouTube channel

From Atlas Obscura's taxidermy course to SonyLIV's Scam 1992 to Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, a list of virtual engagements for this week. (Left) Image via Atlas Obscura

Clayton Hogermeer And The All-Star Band will be seen performing in the online music concert, From the Island this weekend, a music festival set to feature 12 acts by musicians from across Mumbai. Hogermeer will be seen performing his signature folk music in a live stream of the concert, which articulates love, hope and longing, becoming a commentary on the issues of our time. Spend an invigorating evening this Sunday swaying to an electric performance featuring the indie musician on the acoustic guitar with Brent Tauro on the keyboard and Mitchell Murray on drums along with a host of other instrumentalists.

To get your tickets for the concert, click here.

When: 11 October (5.45 pm)

— Talks, panel discussions and workshops

The Blurring Boundaries online series brought about by AVID Learning attempts to explore the intersections between diverse artistic spaces and discuss the points at which these diverse disciplines converge. The Global Language of Design is a panel discussion brought about under this series which aims to talk about how design can have cultural lineages which have now become globalised enough to speak a common language. Comprising panelists like interior designer Sunita Kohli, connoisseur Deepak Badhwar and architect Smita Dalvi, the session moderated by journalist Gayatri Rangachari Shah is definitely a must attend for all interested in design technology and the cultural linkages and complexities within the global language of design and architecture.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 15 October (6 pm)

If Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho sparked a spooky interest in taxidermy then Atlas Obscura's The Living Art of Dead Things is the workshop to attend to know more about how to preserve the dead. An introductory class conducted by taxidermist Allis Markham, the course will walk participants through the art, science and ethics involved in preserving animal corpses. The coursework will cover basic processes like preparing specimens, learning the art of tanning leather, sculpting forms and mounting the finished work, with Markham working on a duckling from start to finish. A three-part online workshop, this course will provide a deeper understanding of taxidermy and the anatomy of creatures often found in our neighbourhoods and backyards.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 10 October

This Monday, Bangalore International Centre has set up the discussion, Full Spectrum: India's Wars 1972-2020 around the sequel to the book, India’s Wars: A Military History 1947-1971 authored by Arjun Subramaniam. In conversation with co-founder of Takshashila Institution, Nitin Pai, and former military adviser Prakash Menon, the author will discuss the need for an increased consciousness among Indians about the work of the country's military during war and peace and its influential role in statecraft in the years to come. The talk promises to be a thoroughly informative and interesting one as it dives into the contemporary narratives of periods of conflict and the work of the Indian armed forces during these times.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 12 October (6.30 pm)

On World Mathematics Day 2020, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) has brought forth the live online talk, Mathematics Fit for a Prince to be delivered by Michael Korey. A mathematician and historian, Korey will be talking about machines, terrestrial instruments and the geometry of power in what promises to be a thoroughly interesting session. For mathematicians and number nerds, this talk is sure to be a most informative experience.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 15 October (5.30 pm)

Migrations and the Making of Cultures in Early India, organised by the Bangalore International Centre, will be a lecture delivered by professor Romila Thapar to discuss how the interface between a host society and a migrant settlement can frequently result in the evolution of new cultures, new social customs, new versions of a language and still newer forms of worship. Migration has been a focal point for historians in the recent times and in delivering the Prof Satish Chandra Memorial Lecture, Thapar will delve into two categories of migrants: the pastoralists and the traders in the early periods of Indian history, covering ages up to the 14th century. Tracing migratory patterns from Central Asia to northern India, from west Asia to the west coast of India, the academician will talk about the new settlers, the connect between their homeland and their new place of residence, in what promises to be an utterly interesting session for history buffs and academics.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 13 October (5 pm)

As part of its #JLFBraveNewWorld series, the Jaipur Literature Festival has organised a discussion with Prajwal Parajuly around his work, Land Where I Flee, which was recently shortlisted for the First Novel Prize. Parajuly's debut work tells the story of three siblings who fly home to Sikkim from different parts of the world to celebrate the 84th birthday of their grandmother, Chitralekha, a shrewd businesswoman who raises them after their parents die in a car crash. In a conversation with writer Elaine Canning, the author is set to talk about his book, about exile and discovery and how his own history has influenced his writing. Tune in to what will be a very insightful discussion between two authors.

When: 9 October (7 pm)

Where: Jaipur Literature Festival's Instagram

The community of artists and performers has been one of the groups hardest hit during the COVID-19 crisis with live performances and theatres indefinitely closed to audiences. To help artists deal with these challenging times and cope effectively with the changes it has brought, the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai has organised a session by clinical psychologist Sangeeta Kamath on Managing psychological stress in times of COVID-19. The live online talk followed by a QnA session will focus on how to best manage psychological distress, life skills that artists can work on during this time and methods to strengthen creative skills among other topics. For artists struggling with the distress brought on by the coronavirus, this session will definitely prove to be of help.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 10 October (3.30 pm)

— Streaming this week

With Halloween only a couple of weeks away, a healthy dose of spine tingling fear is just what's needed to get spooked, especially when we sit at home alone, away from social spaces to maintain social distancing. The makers of The Haunting of Hill House have brought forth yet another horror show, The Haunting of Bly Manor which will arrive on Netflix this weekend. When an au pair plunges into an abyss of secrets, supernatural occurrences in the home of the family where she is employed begin to haunt her and the home, she begins to see apparitions and fear takes control. Much of the Hill House cast will be seen in Bly Manor too, with the new series' narrative loosely based on Henry James' gothic horror, The Turn of the Screw. For horror fans, who enjoyed Hill House, this series is bingeworthy.

When: 9 October

Where: Netflix

Also arriving on Netflix this week is the documentary BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky, the story of the record-shattering South Korean girl band. Following the journey of the four girls, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, it tells the story of the band's trials and dreams, the obstacles they had to overcome in their rise to fame. Their story also makes for a narrative of K-pop, the emergence of the musical genre and its increasing popularity along with exploring the group's work on its well-known music videos, 'Kill This Love' and 'How You Like That.' K-pop fans and music lovers can look forward to this documentary for a glimpse into the world of this girl band.

When: 14 October

Where: Netflix

Coming up on SonyLIV this Friday is the web series, Scam 1992  brought about by Hansal Mehta, the creator of path-breaking works like Shahid and Aligarh. Based on the real-life incidences in the life of Harshad Mehta, a stockbroker in 1980s Bombay, the series features Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Sharib Hashmi among others, chronicling the meteoric rise and fall of the stockbroker. It tells the story of the 1992 stock market scam which led to a huge crash and went on to become the biggest market scam in India. What promises to be an utterly promising show from a talented creator, Scam 1992 — The Harshad Mehta Story, will definitely be worth a binge.

When: 9 October

Where: SonyLIV

A new terrifying story brought about by Amazon Prime Video in collaboration with Blumhouse, run by producer Jason Blum is Evil Eye. With Priyanka Chopra Jonas as executive producer, the film features Sarita Choudhury, Sunita Mani, Omar Maskati among others and tells a dark story of a mother who becomes convinced that her daughter's boyfriend has a sinister connection to her own past. Arriving on the same day is Nocturne, yet another Amazon Prime collaboration with Blum who is known for making psychological thrillers like Get Out, Insidious and The Purge. Nocturne, directed by Zu Quirke, follows the story of a music student in an elite art school who begins to outshine her more accomplished twin on finding a notebook belonging to a recently dead student. Both, Evil Eye and Nocturne promise to be the perfect features for this Halloween season.

Where: Amazon Prime Video

When: 13 October

Also read — Coronavirus outbreak: A database of books, performances, courses available online in these times of social distancing