Drawing on generosity

Artists, musicians, writers and comedians are creating art in exchange for donations to Covid charities. On offer: free digital portraits, free beats, a chance to name a character in a book

Digital portraits in exchange for donations; a beat for free if you give to charity; a chance to name a character in a new graphic novel — these are some of the ways artists are helping in the fight against Covid-19. “The idea came to me from a feeling of helplessness — with the state of the country right now, with the lack of government response, and the bravery of on-ground Covid warriors risking their lives to help others,” says musician Arjun Vagale, 42.

He and 14 other Indian electronic musicians released a 14-track digital album called SOS on Bandcamp, an online record store, on April 30, to raise funds for the Hemkunt Foundation, a Gurugram nonprofit currently focused on helping patients’ families access oxygen.

“The compilation was put together and released in three days. The reason being, we need to help now,” Vagale says. The album, priced at 10 Euro (about Rs 900; but you can donate more), has raised Rs 3 lakh so far.

Elsewhere, Bengaluru-based illustrator Divya Gupta (@divcookie) is offering digital portraits if you donate Rs 1,500 or more to any of the NGOS listed on her Instagram page. Sidin Vadukut raised Rs 1.75 lakh in a 24-hour fundraiser that let donors pick the names of characters in his next graphic novel (seven people donated Rs 25,000 each to a Covid relief body of their choice). Siddhanth Chordia aka The Convo, 24, a music producer from Pune, is working with 27 others to give beats out for free in exchange for donations of Rs 2,000 or more.

Chords for a cause

Chordia launched his project, Breathe This Air (@breathethisairproject on Instagram), on May 4, while recovering from Covid himself. He lost an uncle who was like a father, he says, as well as a close friend who was only 27. He says he expected “about 10 friends to donate Rs 2,000 each”. But on the first night, Rs 1.17 lakh was donated.

Since then, Breathe This Air has added more artists to their collaborative effort — painters, dancers, video producers.

A most moving experience, Chordia says, was when a woman who lost her mother to Covid-19 approached him with proof of her donation, asking if he would create a beat similar to a song that reminded her of her mom. “I spent a whole day on that beat.”

N Bhandari, 25, a software engineer from Dehradun, is among others who have claimed a personalised beat from Chordia. “It’s amazing to see artists coming together to create content like this,” she says. “Both of us have lost people. I’ve lost an uncle and friends who were dear to me. That mutual sense of loss was a part of what made this more meaningful.”

Artistic value

Among the artists performing to raise funds are comedian Vir Das, culinary researcher Shubhra Chatterji and artist Indira Mallik. Das raised Rs 7 lakh over two days (May 1 and 2) and continues to perform online gigs from home to raise money. Tickets are priced at Rs 750.

Mallik, 25, a doctor in the UK and an amateur artist, has raised about Rs 10,000 selling digital prints of her paintings via Instagram (@indiradrawsthings). “I think many people want to help but are unsure how to do so. Buying art makes the process a bit more straightforward,” she says “And for me, painting has provided a fulfilling way to do something for the cause.”

Chatterji (@historywali on Instagram), 37, has launched a lecture series featuring scholars, researchers, chefs and writers talking at events held virtually every weekend. Tickets are priced at Rs 750 per head, with about 50 seats per session. The first lecture, on May 8, was by food writer Marryam H Reshii about the culinary culture of Kashmir. The second, on May 16, was by food historian Salma Husain on summer feasts in Mughal times.

All proceeds go to Covid relief organisations such as the Protsahan India Foundation, which is focusing on children orphaned by the pandemic. “I was basically paralysed all week and this felt like using my own anger and frustration. This gave me something to do,” Chatterji says.

Every little bit counts at such a time, says Jaswinder Singh, executive director of Protsahan. “There are influencers and artists and people who have their own networks who can take our word forward. Every person who’s pitching in brings value to someone else’s life in some way.”