Adil Jamal

Consultant for communication branding and visual identity

Adil Jamal is our consultant for communication branding and visual identity. Apart from having more than two decades of advertising experience with some visible national brands, he is a keen self-taught photographer who has several solo exhibitions and published images to his credit in addition to appearing on our very own LA, the LILA Blog in ‘Crossing the Ecliptic a collaboration with Rizio Yohannan Raj on her eponymous poetic trilogy. Some of his best known works include some signature dreamy reflections of monuments on water and brilliantly lit interplay of stones and shadows. He has also been running a continued photography workshop with children of a South Delhi school for several years and is now trying his hand at children’s literature.

Anandi Mehra

Intern

Anandi Mehra has completed her first year as a design student at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Her interest in exploring various fields led her to LILA, and her association with the organisation as a volunteer. She took forward her keen interest in paper craft and conducted an origami workshop with Rizio Yohannan Raj, the executive director of LILA. Together, they designed the workshop to create an unconventional space for children by giving them a free atmosphere for thought and expression. She also helped in creating a videofilm, documenting Kaapi LILA. She appreciates music, art and films and hopes to pursue filmmaking in the future. What attracted her to LILA most was the opportunity to work with a unique life appreciation organisation engaged with socially committed projects.

Chahat Rana: Blog Editor

Chahat Rana is a second year literature student at Ashoka university, a private liberal arts college. Her quest for pursuing a fruitful summer experience turned into something much more rewarding as she started working at LILA, allowing her to to channel her true passion, i.e writing through the new blog for which she now creates and curates content, alongside many other talented contributors. In her free time, she likes to pretend like she is on stage, singing, dancing or acting. She hopes music will forever guide her and her pen, or she won’t know what do with her life.

Chitra Kalyani: Research, Writing and Editing

Volunteer

Chitra Kalyani studied Comparative Literature and previously worked as a culture journalist. Currently, she does public relations for AtreYoga Studio and also researches mental illness as part of her fellowship with Indo-Global Social Services Society.

Manav Kambli

Intern

Manav Kambli is a 3rd Year LCS (Literary and Cultural Studies) student from FLAME, Pune. Socio-cultural events, contemporary politics, literature, poetry and philosophy are a few of his ardent interests, on which he frequently opines and writes. In a bid to work in a space encouraging organic thought and creative action pertinent to his field of study, he landed an internship at LILA. Through LILA, he is able to look at certain implementation-based aspects of his interest areas: he engages in debates, works for projects in the field of visual arts, transliteration, among others. He enjoys the flourishing growth and exchange of knowledge at LILA, along with the camaraderie prevalent in its working environment.

Monica Dawar: Consultant (Photography )

Monica Dawar is our Consultant for Photography. She has established herself as an ace photographer across the panoramic arena of the arts. Her coverage extends in an exhaustive manner across a range of culture related photography. From the genres of Dance, Music, Theatre to Portraits, Wildlife, Street Shots, she has successfully straddled various subject matters. The art of Monica Dawar is that she lets her subjects be the photograph. She and her camera do not try to obscure or overpower the subject. She feels, and senses, and through her lens those feelings and that sensitivity speak.

Prayas Abhinav: Artist-Writer on Internet

Prayas Abhinav is an artist and teacher. He has worked in the last few years on numerous pieces of speculative fiction, software, games, interactive installations, public interventions and curatorial projects. He contributed to research and projects at northeastwestsouth (n.e.w.s) (Amsterdam, NL). He has conducted workshops at Centre for Environmental Planning Technology (CEPT) (Ahmedabad), Dutch Art Institute (Arnhem, NL), MICA (Ahmedabad) and National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad & Bangalore). In the past he led the Centre for Experimental Media Arts (CEMA) at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore and at present he teaches at the Institute of Design Environment & Architecture at Indus University (Ahmedabad). He is the initiator and the Director of the Museum of Vestigial Desire and founding member of Surfatial. He has developed his research and practice with the support of fellowships by Sarai, Openspace, the Center for Experimental Media Arts (CEMA), TED and Lucid. He has been in residencies at Khoj (India), Coded Cultures (Austria) and dis-locate (Japan). He has shared his work at festivals including Transmediale, 48c, Futuresonic, ISEA and Wintercamp.

Samuel Buchoul: Editor, Website Designer and Visuals

Samuel Buchoul is a writer based in Delhi. After studying communication and information, Western and Indian Philosophy and Buddhism, Samuel was associated with LILA Foundation from 2013 to 2016. He designed and coded the various websites of the Foundation, edited numerous work/business contents and cultural publications, in particular LILA Inter-actions from January 2014 to March 2015, along with taking care of the graphic design for several programmes, event photography and overall multimedia works for the videos and other contents. In 2017, he launched a new space for philosophy and literature : the Institute for the Study of Texts.

Satchin Koshy Joseph: Public Interface and Programme Ideation

Communications, Media and R&D Officer

Satchin Koshy Joseph does Communications, Media and Public Interface at LILA. He was a student of English literature at Madras Christian College and pursued an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from Central University of Kerala. He is inclined to composing music and is drawn towards the politico-cultural pluralities of the Indian terrain. Presently, socio-economic inequalities, sexual violence, intolerance & indifference, as well as environmental degradation occupy his mind space. He is working towards the creation of a national network of people, educational institutions, social organisations and policy makers to systematically address these concerns.

Shijomon K V: Translation

Volunteer

Shijomon K V is currently doing his PhD in Comparative Literature, from the Central University of Kerala. His topic is “Transnational Identity and Third Space in Malayali Diaspora Literature and Culture”. He completed his Masters and M.Phil in English and Comparative Literature from the same Department. His areas of interest are Diaspora Studies, Cultural Studies and Translation Studies. He has worked on translations from English to Malayalam. Shijomon came to know about LILA through Rizio Yohannan Raj and took part in various translations in collaboration with Satchin Joseph Koshy. He is eager to thus work on his translation skills.

Smriti Vohra: Research and Writing

Volunteer

Smriti Vohra works as a freelance editor, focusing on the humanities and social sciences. She is interested in all aspects of language, literature, cultural history, and creativity in the performing and visual arts.

Siddhant Kalra

Intern

Siddhant Kalra is a 3rd year LCS (Literary and Cultural studies) student at FLAME college, Pune. He has developed a keen interest in literature, philosophy and socio-political discourses. He also enjoys making music and watching films. At this point in life, he hopes to find some sort of clarity in his mindscape and through this clarity, conviction. His preferred medium of expression is the written word and he hopes to employ it to substantial use in the future. Someday, he sees himself thinking in a much more stimulated and engaged context. His wandering to look for a substantial use of a summer got him to LILA, an organisation whose vision he finds himself close to. Here, he enjoys doing research work and writing.