(For the next two weeks, The Free Press Journal will bring you an innovative series on Unconventional Careers, one unique story everyday. Continue reading to learn more about young people who took chances, braced all odds and used their tenacity to make it big. Tanvi Mahajan is the subject of today's tale.)
Tanvi Mahajan is a Jammu-based entrepreneur and founder of Pause Tribe which aims to provide a safe and inclusive platform for artists to showcase their talents. Let us find out more about her interesting story.
Jammu in 2018 was home to writers without a platform. I was one of them. I was searching for a platform where I could perform my poems but had no luck finding one. I was closely following the open mic events conducted in Mumbai and was inspired to organise one in Jammu which got a good response. I founded Pause in 2019 with the aim to let people take out time, stay and live amidst their busy lives. We started organising regular open mics for a year. In 2021, after seeing many roadblocks (internet ban due to the end of article 370 and the covid lockdown, etc.) Pause became J&K’s first performing art studio.
I always found the word ‘entrepreneur’ very fascinating. | File photo
I always found the word ‘entrepreneur’ very fascinating. Pause gave me a chance to become an entrepreneur. Being an artist I know what other artists need and this gives me more power as an entrepreneur. My journey has been through many shades. As a girl, in a small town, my family would constantly worry about my safety as I had to stay out late. Another challenge was to find a balanced ratio between the artists and the audience. The current composition is 70 percent artist and only 30 percent audience. It’s a piece of work to convince people of tier 2 or tier 3 cities to support an unconventional art form. This becomes a hurdle for our monetary profits as our business model is based on ticketing and sometimes sponsorships.
As a result, we have to charge our artists- something that I believe should not be in practice- to bear the expenses. But amidst the clouds of challenges comes the silver lining as I receive love and gratitude from artists of all age groups, and all genders for providing a safe and inclusive space for their art.
Pause has become a part of many lives. It holds a special place in my heart. I have not made Pause but Pause has made me. It has given me the confidence to take center stage and helped me overcome my insecurities and fears.
My advice to all aspiring artists is to transform their ‘may be’ into ‘let’s do it’. Don’t let your dreams turn into regrets because of self-doubt. Even if you start at zero, you can never go down to minus one. To the ones who are ambitious to provide similar platforms for artists, I request them to be honest with their work, your platform, and your artists. Even if your events only have one person in the audience of one artist, put in the same dedication as you will with a houseful show. Event management can be very exhausting and it is important to have a hobby and unwind. I am learning to play the ukulele and develop a reading habit.
I hope to see the open-mic culture develop in not just Jammu and Kashmir but in every state of India.
(If you have an interesting tale of someone who has dared to go against the grain, please email us at fpjournaledu@gmail.com)
