Written By: Adam M. Haidermota
March 1st: 6:30- 8:30 (First Friday of Every Month)
The 2nd Floor (T2F) is a vibrant cultural space in Karachi founded by the late Sabeen Mahmud and run by the NGO, PeaceNiche. It continues to be a safe space for Karachiites where students can enjoy a cup of chai at the T2F Café and entrepreneurs can grind in the Quiet Studio coworking space and all can enjoy the various events in the Faraar Gallery.
The Faraar Gallery in particular is a one of a kind space in Karachi. The PeaceNiche team does an incredible job of curating an events calendar which has a variety of activities related to music, art, and education. Educational activities include classes on playing the guitar, art, shaaeri, tabla, mathematics, and more. Other events include art exhibitions and book launches by up and coming creatives, as well as musical performances such as jamathons and qawwalis. You can even attend a valuable group session with mindfulness experts or another meditation activity in their monthly ‘Drum Circle’.
One of T2F’s monthly events is what they call “T2F’s First Fridays Open Mic”. On the first Friday of every month, aspiring creatives and hobbyists alike grace the stage at Faraar Gallery to showcase their talents in front of friends, family and strangers. The Open Mic night features a range of different performers which include bands, solo musicians, poets and comedians. In the December 2018 Open Mic Night, the audience enjoyed a particularly entertaining rap performance as well.
T2F’s First Fridays are a must for both performers and enthusiasts alike. For performers, it’s an ideal environment for young up and comers who are looking to progressively gain more experience performing in front of crowds. For hobbyists, it’s a great space to share their passion and their art with friends in a captivating, intimate venue. For the audience, it’s an opportunity for a super entertaining night with a variety of very talented artists, and a little something different from the typical dinner/ chai dhaba plans that our youth tends to be limited to.
So mark off the first Friday of the next month on your calendars, get a group of friends together to attend or even start practicing your technique to perform. Keep a lookout on T2F’s facebook page for the specific event details of each month’s Open Mic Night.
