It is not unreal to think that the world will not be the same anymore. Our notions of work, interaction, communication and hygiene have all swiftly been replaced by ‘novel’ ideas. Undeniably, this lockdown was a necessary evil to contain the spread of this deadly virus; but are we ready to accept that it also necessitates wide-ranging structural changes? It is equally distressing to already witness the unequal impact of these transitions. At The Yuva Ekta Foundation, our effort during this lockdown has been to reimagine the way we express, interact and engage with each other. We find that now more than ever, the Arts are becoming integral to re-establish this sense of human connection. Arts offer new ways of listening to our voices and our stories, and finding meaning to our lived experiences. It offers a chance to be reflective and introspective, often providing a calming and relaxing space for us to be present with our thoughts. In response to the Covid-19 crisis, The Foundation has started several initiatives to keep the Arts alive in the online world. One of the most seamless entries in this regard has been of Playback Theatre – a form of improvisational theatre in which audience or group members tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot. We’re used to a world where social discourses are created through interactions in the public sphere. While that space has physically diminished, the online platform has given us a chance to meet, connect, interact, and perennially keep the social alive.  The Yuva Ekta Playback Theatre Group is the first active playback group registered in Delhi. It has a team of over 15 talented and dedicated artists from diverse backgrounds, who meet every week to train and explore the craft further.  Interactive and spontaneous, playback performances are carried out by a team of actors, an emcee (called the conductor), and a musician. As the show begins, audience members respond to questions from the conductor, then watch as actors and the musician create brief theatre pieces on the spot. Before we know it, the narrative of the entire performance is created. One after the other, stories find their connections with each other and experiences gain a collective meaning. On June 5th, 2020, we conducted a Playback Theatre performance online, titled ‘Towards a New Horizon’ with team members of Tattle – a civic tech project emanating from India that aims to make verified information more accessible to mobile first users, in languages that they are comfortable with. Started with the intent of addressing misinformation on WhatsApp, the project has expanded in scope to address misinformation on chat apps and encrypted networks in general. Our intent through this performance was to explore what will be the new “normal?” What are our hopes and expectations? How will we deal with the opportunities that will come our way? It turned out to be a very moving session for all of us, as many audience members shared stories of their struggles during the lockdown, their motivations, aspirations and expectations from the new world order. This was also an opportunity to for the team members to connect with each other over the collective sense of pain and helplessness during these times, and also share personal stories of joy and resilience. This is the power of Playback theatre – creating a community platform to bring down walls of isolation and fear, even as the medium encourages us to share our stories and begin our process of healing. To know more, get in touch with us at office@yuvaektafoundation.org