In their latest quest to explore various issues through the lens of art, Longitude Latitude 6 (LL6) is hosting a week in the spirit of healing, supported by the iCan Foundation.
"We can all use art to heal those around us. We can use art, poetry, music - or just a smile," Shehzad Chowdhury, founder and curator of LL6, said on Saturday following a session on healing through yoga that kicked off the week.
Saturday’s session was hosted by Linda Germanis, founder of Yoga Fusion and author of Heals Over Head, who specialises in yoga for post-traumatic healing.
“Yoga for healing is new concept – and is just beginning to become commonly known in the US. The Global Trauma Centre has a leadership on that,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.
“Yoga, in general, is therapy, but there’s been more scientific research to identify which specific technique works for which trauma or struggle,” she added.
Beyond stretching your blues away, LL6 is further hosting two exhibitions, an art workshop and a storytelling workshop under the umbrella of healing.
The exhibition by Pretty Shitty Art, by Saria Saguaro, was inaugurated on Sunday evening and continued till yesterday evening. The exhibition featured the artist’s creative and multiple personalities on her paintings, illustrations, art prints, underwear, coasters and shoes.
Following this, Shehzad Chowdhury’s own exhibition will go up on Wednesday evening, which will be formally inaugurated on Thursday evening.
Healing is not just about the art, but also the empowerment. To this, LL6 and iCan Foundation, an organisation that works with survivors of child abuse, will be hosting an art workshop on Friday from 10:30am till 1pm.
“The idea is to express yourself and heal yourself using any tool you want. Creative writing, music, painting - you can use art as a very good tool to let the negative bit out of your system,” Ayreen Khan, founder of iCan Foundation who is also one of the organisers of LL6, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Ayreen adds that they decided to focus on healing as it often remains unaddressed in our society.
“There will be two segments of the workshop: paining with poster colours, and claymaking - to instill in them the sense of empowerment that they can create something,” she says. The workshop will be conducted by Salbhi Sumaiya and Nazmul Haque.
Continuing the spirit of creation, week will end with a motivational storytelling workshop conducted by musician Shaik Salekin Shaon, who will use personal anecdotes and stories from around him to present them in a motivational wrap.
“Storytelling is one of the most ancient ways of communicating. Over time, humankind experienced industrial revolution, with the rise of mass media and the Internet, and a lot of people now have information at their fingertips. Yet, storytelling remains as popular and effective as it was in the past,” says Shaik.
“What makes it so powerful and effective? Because the process itself is so human,” he adds. “The main idea of storytelling is to connect with the listeners, and I’ll be doing just that – with a twist.”
This is part of a four-month long event LL6 which has been featuring artworks of different genres since July, with the core philosophy: "any space is a good space to interact with art." It is curated by Shehzad Chowdhury, who, with his team, has been organising the series since 2003. It is open everyday from 2pm – 9pm. For further information, visit their page: www.facebook.com/LaitudeLongitude6.