Soon after celebrating their eighth birthday, Junoon, an arts organisation co-founded by Sameera Iyengar and Sanjna Kapoor, has decided to come to a halt.
In a press statement, the duo stated that they will be working towards closure, “These past few months have been decisive for Junoon. As we celebrated our 8th birthday on 29th February we knew we were at a turning point that demanded tough decisions towards financially stabilising Junoon. We were moving towards this end. However, the current global scenario has shaken us. As you can imagine, the fragile existence of an arts organisation such as Junoon, has left us with very little options but to graciously call it a day. And it is with sadness that we have decided to close Junoon to ensure we do not undergo any more insurmountable losses.”
Founded on February 29, 2012, Junoon was formed to highlight the arts in daily lives. The intention was to bridge the gap between arts, artists and audiences. Of particular interest for Mumbaikars was their ‘Mumbai Local’ series — curated talks by authors, environmentalists, activists, teachers and other members of civil society — held in small venues across the city.
National activities
Among their national activities was the ‘Arts at Play with Schools’ — a programme for schools that encompassed a variety of engagements with diverse art forms. Another was ‘Strategic Management in the Art of Theatre’ for professionals: a four-month programme for drama groups.
