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 Our notions of work, interaction, communication and hygiene have all swiftly been replaced by ‘novel’ ideas.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 August 22nd, we received an opportunity to showcase our playback performance for the prefectorial council of Vasant Valley School, one of the top schools in New Delhi, India. The theme of the performance was 'Towards a New Horizon - New Beginnings, New Challenges'. Through the stories shared by the students, we delved into the issues of anxiety, isolation and uncertainty that our young students are facing in the time of lockdown. In times like these when classes and learning have come into the online world, what larger ramifications does it imply for the world of education? How are we coping with all of this? Many students spoke up about personal experiences of struggle with anxiety about the pandemic, the adjustment to the 'new normal', missing a regular school life and much more. In addition, there were beautiful stories of courage and resilience, of finding strength in each other, and gratitude for the opportunities that the digital platform has provided us. We received a wonderful feedback from our audience members - "I think it's really important to stop doing everything for a bit and just reflect on our thoughts. We need to address our mental health along with doing our work." "It was comforting to see a little bit of yourself reflected in what was acted." "It’s sort of an opportunity to deal with situations by looking at it from an outside perspective." 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 about our work, mail us at office@yuvaektafoundation.org