Authenticity is hard to catch. It giggles through stand-up comedy, dances around underground music gigs and waves from behind the curtain at theatres. But pinning it down can be a tricky endeavour. That’s where Kommune comes in: a new kind of net.
“There is no better tool than the power of personal narrative,” says Shamir Reuben, head of wordsmithing and socialising, adding that “Kommune was created to tap into that”.
Operating through two-hour workshops, the collective creates an intimate space for individuals to share their own stories with an audience of strangers. While this is how World Storytelling Institute and other events or groups function, there’s a bit more encouragement for those who find this daunting. Any doubtful storytellers can have a session of ‘training’, where they pick up tips, tricks and a little bit of confidence.
Many of these narrations are shared with over one lakh followers on their Facebook page. Using social media to spread their stories has been one of the ways that Kommune has grown in popularity across the country.
“In one instance, we had an audience of 60 and, by the end, all of them ended up participating. This display of confidence is infectious. Everyone has a story to tell, and once someone has started the chain, it encourages others to speak out,” he says. This is something they hope to achieve once again in their workshop, which is taking place for the first time in Chennai this weekend.
Kommune was founded in 2015 by Ankur Tewari, Gaurav Kapur and Roshan Abbas, all of whom worked in the arts and media industries and were looking for “an alternative, more authentic space of expression”.
With around 15 attendees for each workshop, it grew slowly until it “blossomed into a full-blown revolution” last February, going viral on sites such as BuzzFeed, and establishing itself as a new, dynamic and vibrant space for empowerment.
So what draws people to storytelling, when other mediums like theatre, comedy or music are less personal and, thus, less intimidating? Reuben credits the same vulnerability with making Kommune so popular. “It’s a very human experience, because it puts the audience and the performer in the same headspace,” he says.
As a result, it creates a kind of empathy that is intimate, shared and authentic, in a way that few other performance mediums can replicate. Many address taboo topics such as mental health, LGBT issues and self-esteem, creating an honest form of social commentary through simple human experience. They aim to build a community through empathy, compassion and empowerment: it sounds too idealistic to be true, yet they’ve held workshops in over seven cities, with a growing network, and ever growing support.
The workshop takes place on May 28, at Sir Mutha Concert Hall, Chetpet, at 6.30 pm. Tickets of ₹300 are available on insider.in.
