This October, we decided to start a new column in the newsletter- ‘Friends of Aagaaz Speak’. This space is dedicated to all those people who have invested their trust and money in Aagaaz. Their association is valuable to us and we really wanted to know and share why they have chosen to become a part of our journey. This month we are featuring Priyam Jain. This is what she has to say:
“As a distraught teenager struggling with issues of bullying, alienation, and loneliness, I would often hope that someone would help me make sense of my self and the environment. It was during college, that theater happened and I became acutely aware of the power of arts in healing and critical thinking for me. It was, to say the least, life changing!
A couple of years back, when I first bumped into Sanyukta, the founder of Aagaaz, I became a witness to a community of young theater makers from Nizammudin reinforcing what I had experienced first hand. I was both inspired and eager to support this lovely group.
As I came on board in the role of a friend of Aagaaz and a mentor to one of the members, I got to have an insight into this community of changemakers. Against the backdrop of many odds, they were making work that transformed each member and the audiences. Aagaaz for me is a community of changemakers, theater lovers, inspiring individuals and most of all hope givers.
Not one interaction has been ordinary and their creativity constantly pushes the boundaries of my own biases and perceived limitations about applied arts in community spaces.
Thank you Aagaaz for your ability to help us look at critical questions to do with the spaces we inhabit and bring both heart and insight into your work.”
Priyam is a trained counseling Psychologist and a certified art therapy practitioner, She has worked extensively with people across ages and diverse communities.