The Curio-city Collective

In Episode  10, we speak with Aslam Saiyad, photographer and co-founder of Go Hallu  Hallu, which conducts walks in the city. He talks about the importance  of slowing down, paying deeper attention to our local environment and  how that makes room for empathy. Through walks in less 'visible' areas  of the city, he re-introduces people to Mumbai's indigenous communities.

In Episode 9, we speak with two journalists, Yunus Lasania and Serish Nanisetti. Both have a deep connection to the history and heritage of Hyderabad and have brought the city and its bylanes alive through their work. Lasania is the founder of the Hyderabad History Project which organises walks that explore the history of Hyderabad beyond the larger more well known landmarks of the city.

In Episode 8, we speak with Vijay Dhasmana, rewilder and eco-restoration practitioner. He tells us the riveting story of how a degraded mining site was converted into the flourishing Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Gurugram and explains why cities urgently need to integrate wild spaces into their planning.

In this bonus episode, Zai Whitaker, writer and one of the founders of the Madras Crocodile Bank, shares what led her to begin writing books for children. She reads excerpts from her book, Boastful Centipede and Other Creatures and from one of her favourites, Kenneth Graham's The Wind in the Willows. Listen to this very special episode with the kids in your life!

In Episode 7, we chat with Zai Whitaker, writer and one of the founders of the Madras Crocodile Bank. She talks about what first drew her to the natural world, the influence of her family and the crucial role of conservation parks like the Crocodile Bank. She also shares how we can all connect to wonder in our very own cities and begin our conservation journey at home.

In our second extra for the month Sadhana Ramchander, urban tree guide and educator, speaks to us on how we can begin to heal the current disconnection and distance between urban children and the natural world - an important step in the direction towards building a future of renewal and hope.

In Episode 6, we chat with Sadhana Ramchander and Kobita Dass Kolli, the curators of the Hyderabad Tree Enthusiasts group. They share the joy of discovering urban trees and foliage, the wonders that lie amidst them and the powerful capacity for healing and learning that green spaces hold for city dwellers.

Deepa Mohan, birder and naturalist guide, shares the ABC of birding and what it involves in  this bonus episode. Listen in to hear how you can begin birding from  your balcony, neighbourhood or city, wherever you live. Best of all- it  takes no equipment or special effort- just a lively curiosity!

In Episode 5, we speak to Deepa Mohan, birder and naturalist guide based in  Bangalore. She shares her journey of how she began connecting with the  natural world and eventually became an integral part of BngBirds, a  birding nature group that has become a learning and growing space for  children and adults alike to connect not just with birds but with  butterflies, trees, flowers and all that they encounter on walks.

In Episode 4, we speak to Swarnlata Mahilkar from EMpower India, a global philanthropy focused on supporting at-risk youth. She facilitated the research process for the Covid: In Her Voice Report--a girl-led  and centred participatory research study. Along with her is Shireen Ansari, one of the young women researchers and a powerful advocate for  what policy changes need to be made for adolescent girls and young women  to fulfil their dreams and aspirations.

In Episode 3, we speak to Dr. Praveetha Patalay, Professor at University College London, who studies adolescent mental health and well being. In  our conversation she explains the importance of understanding  adolescent mental health in greater depth, the pivotal role it plays in  defining our health through our lifetime and the impact the pandemic has  had on children.

In our second episode of Season 2, Sowmiya Ashok, a journalist and one of the fellows of the 2020-21 China-India Visiting Scholars Fellowship at Ashoka University, talks about the gig economy, the rights of gig workers, what changed through the period of the pandemic and where each of us can fit in as those who access key services provided by gig workers.

In our first episode of Season 2, four professionals working in different sectors and cities of India reflect on what the pandemic brought up for them in relation to their work lives--how and why they have chosen to do things differently and what it portends for the future in the role work plays in the larger tapestry of life.

In Episode 18, we revisit the theme that underpins all our conversations this season - transformative change and action. We unpack why this is more urgent than ever and how every action from the individual to the collective carries tremendous potential for change and creating well-being.

In Episode 17, we circle back to talk about well-being and the city--the theme that led us to begin this podcast. Through a conversation on the multi-dimensionality of well-being and our reflections and learnings from the past season, we talk about why it is more crucial than ever to build collective well-being.

In a conversation with Jehanzeb Baldiwala, Director-Mental Health Services at the Ummeed Child Development Centre in Mumbai, we talk about how the pandemic has affected children, warning signs of distress parents can watch out for and how to respond and build safe spaces that support children's well-being.

In a conversation with Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, founder of Chennai-based NGO Kilikili, we talk about creating inclusive play spaces for children of all abilities and why that's something all cities should envision and plan for. We also talk about the impact the pandemic has had on play and what parents and caregivers can do to bring fun to the everyday lives of children.

In Episode 15 we speak with Radhika Alkazi, founder of Delhi-based NGO ASTHA, who has been working with children with disabilities. She talks to us about how the pandemic has made children who were already on the margins, even more invisible. She also tells us about what's working, what support looks like and how safe spaces can be created for children so that they can access their rights.

In a conversation with Dr. Abraham Thomas, a Ratan Tata fellow in public health based in Kodur, Andhra Pradesh, we reflect on the need to rethink the design and approachability of the Public Health System in India, in light of the pandemic.

In this extra with S.Vishwanath, we do a quick FAQ on what citizens can do to support building water resilient cities. Whether you stay in a rented house or your own or are planning to build one - he has some suggestions for all of us!

A NITI Aayog Report in 2019 predicted that 21 cities in India would face severe water shortages in 2020. In Episode 14 we speak with S.Vishwanath, civil engineer and urban planner who has worked extensively over the past 34 years on issues related to water management in Indian cities. He talks to us about the varied roles water plays in our lives and how we can begin to heal our relationship with this resource and build water resilient cities.

Episode 13 looks at the landscape of cities and how to build cities based on principles of frugality and simplicity. Through a conversation with Bengaluru-based architect, Chitra Vishwanath, founder of Biome Environmental Solutions, it examines how we need to turn to local wisdom and techniques as urbanisation increases rapidly. It also looks at what sustainability means.

Episode 12 maps the ongoing humanitarian crisis of the exodus of migrant labourers from cities in India due to the lockdown and attempts to understand the complex underlying causes that has precipitated it. It looks at the notion of home and belonging and what that means in a globalised world for the millions who live on the margins.

Episode 11 explores women's labour and the impact Covid-19 has had on it through the lens of two women living in different cities in India. It looks at the invisible and often unrecognised work of a woman's day-to-day life and reflects on why re-examining these ascribed roles and functions is critical.

Episode 10 enters the terrain of the strange and fascinating scientific world of pandemics, epidemics and zoonotic diseases. The episode moves further down the trail of exploring how our fraying relationship with our planet might have something to do the current Covid-19 crisis and considers what wisdom we can glean from this experience.

This TCC episode reflects on the world that’s unfolding outside our windows and doors as we find ourselves restricted to our homes during the forced stillness of the lockdown. As air pollution lowers and animals begin to wander about cities - what are we seeing and experiencing? What is it telling us about who we want to be once the lockdown comes to an end?

We spoke to Aparna Joshi, Assistant Professor at TISS and Project Director of iCALL, and her colleague Tanuja Babre, Coordinator of iCALL to understand the psychosocial impact of the Corona virus, the impact its having on how we’re all feeling and responding. We also spoke specifically, to care and what collective care means in this time.

Episode 8 looks at how to build and nurture communities of care as we find ourselves in the middle of one of the largest lockdowns in the world because of the Corona Virus pandemic. Through a mix of personal experience and research, it examines who often gets left out of these networks of care, and how to extend them to all kinds of social groups with empathy and compassion.

Episode 7 looks at questions of connection and care as we find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic. Given that the Corona virus has in one way reinforced our shared humanity, it explores what the human response to it will be. Through research, it looks at the potential each of us have to reinforce what makes us human through acts of kindness and compassion.

12-Year-Old Gautami who lives in Bangalore began assisting her mother to segregate and compost when she was all of two years old. In this extra, Gautami explains why it’s a question of justice to manage your own waste, and shares what she loves about the process.

Episode 6 digs deep into the question of why we should segregate and compost. Keshav Jaini, Savita Hiremath and Padma Patil - individuals who have helped convert their communities to greener waste management practices - share how they have journeyed with waste and outline the numerous profound insights it has brought to them about life and living.

Padma Patil, who lives in Yelahanka (Bangalore) was able to achieve the stupendous task of converting her apartment complex of 1332 households to community segregation and composting. In this extra, Padma explains the thought, effort and structures that go into doing this.

In episode 5 we meet two individuals, Keshav Jaini from Gurgaon and Savita Hiremath from Bangalore, who have been the driving force behind shifting their large communities to segregating and composting household waste. They share what motivated them to get into community waste management alongside the actual process of making, managing and maintaining the shift.

In episode 4 we speak to Poonam Bir Kasturi, founder of Daily Dump, a ‘mindset changing business’ working to transform an urban dwellers relationship with their waste. As a pioneer in the arena of home composting, Poonam shares what inspired her to start Daily Dump, how consumption patterns are contributing to a sharp growth in waste volumes and why composting is an important solution.

Primla Hingorani, 75, is a regular at the Versova beach cleanups in Mumbai since 2016.. What motivates her to be a part of this movement at this age? What are the joys of volunteering and why should more people join in? This and more as we talk to the ever exuberant and warm Primla aka Aunty 72!

Lawyer and ocean lover, Afroz Shah, who has led one of the biggest beach clean ups in the world in Mumbai, shares how he has built a well-knit community of volunteers who week after week, come out to clear beaches of plastic waste. Volunteers also share what keeps them inspired and motivated.

Tanuja Babre, Coordinator of the psycho-social helpline iCALL, explains what goes into running a professional helpline and shares a day in the life of an iCALL counsellor.

Aparna Joshi and Tanuja Babre from Initiating Concern for All or iCALL, a pioneering mental health project started in 2012 by the School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai) explain the nature and kinds of distress experienced by individuals in cities and share coping methods.

Sonia and Sandhya, social media influencers, speak on how they cope with feeling low and lonely; and also share their observations on how a city organically begins to build pockets of resistance and resilience.