There is something to be said for open mics, and those who organise them. For all the work that they put in, they are always aware of three things. They will not be drawing famous artistes. They cannot earn much through ticketed crowds, or even expect a large audience. They are absolutely essential for indie talent to foster and grow in the city.
One of these many platforms is House of T, which has been a stepping stone for many up-and-coming artistes in recent years. Set to turn four this weekend, the House of T team plans to celebrate with a nod to other platforms in town, bringing all open mic producers of Chennai together for a multi-venue string of events.
“The idea is to include every single production house that does open mics regularly,” says House of T founder Thomas Davis, “So we have High On Art that organises open mics in Pondicherry, along with Chennai platforms like On That Note for music, Tanglish Comedy and Aragora for comedy, Deleted Drafts and An Unexplored Mic for poetry and storytelling, and production houses like Mahad Productions, Chennai Thiruvizha and Uncalled Knacks that host all kinds of art forms.”
