iWorld
Getty Images & Instagram launch photography grant
MUMBAI: Getty Images in collaboration with Instagram, has called for entries for a new grant to support photographers using Instagram to document stories from underrepresented communities around the world.
Instagram has introduced new opportunities for emerging voices, outside the mainstream media, to create and share projects of social importance. The Getty Images Instagram grant provides financial support and mentorship to amplify their impact.
“Photographers in all corners of the world use the Instagram platform to share unique and authentic stories that otherwise rarely come into focus. Getty Images is guided by our belief in the power of pictures to move the world and we are excited to collaborate with Instagram on this grant to support and amplify new and important voices,” said Getty Images senior director of content partnerships Elodie Mailliet Storm.
Three winners will be selected based on the existing body of work represented on their Instagram account, focusing on the quality of their imagery, their photographic skills and on the project and stories told through their photos.
“We are inspired every day by the work being shared on Instagram by both established and aspiring photographers. Photographers from every corner of the world are experimenting, stretching their creativity and offering diverse perspectives. This grant captures the global enthusiasm from photographers to continue to push their craft to new levels,” added Instagram director of community Amanda Kelso.
Applications will be accepted until 4 June, 2015. Entrants can apply online at www.gettyimages.com/grants, where they will be required to submit a biography, brief description of their approach, style, the stories they have covered and how they would benefit from the grant.
The judges are TIME director of photography Kira Pollack, World Press Photo-winning Swedish-Eritrean photographer Malin Fezehai, award-winning American photojournalist and former Miami Herald director of photography Maggie Steber, National Geographic photographer fellow David Guttenfelder and @EverydayIran founder Ramin Talaie.
The three winners will be announced in September 2015. Each will receive a grant of $10,000 and mentorship from one of Getty Images’ world-class photographers. They will also be invited to the Photoville photography festival in New York in September 2015, where Getty Images and Instagram will exhibit the grantees’ imagery.
iWorld
Mastercard expands concert series with comedy and music format
Vir Das, Zakir Khan and Papon headline multi-city shows across India.
MUMBAI: From punchlines to power chords, the stage is getting a genre upgrade. Mastercard has unveiled the next phase of its multi-city concert series in India, blending stand-up comedy with live music in a format that mirrors the country’s evolving entertainment tastes. The new line-up brings together a diverse mix of performers, including comedians Vir Das and Zakir Khan, alongside singer Papon. The shift marks a departure from earlier editions that were primarily music-led, featuring global and Indian acts such as Enrique Iglesias, A. R. Rahman and Sunidhi Chauhan.
Curated in collaboration with Tribe Vibe and EVA Live, the expanded series is designed to create a broader cultural platform that brings humour, storytelling and music into a single live experience.
Vir Das will kick off the comedy segment in New Delhi with four shows across two days at Yashobhoomi on 9 and 10 May. Meanwhile, Zakir Khan is set for an extended run in Mumbai, with nine shows scheduled at Dome SVP Stadium across 12, 13, 14, 19 and 20 June, with additional dates expected.
On the music front, Papon will headline a six-city tour, beginning in Chandigarh on 16 May, followed by Ahmedabad on 29 May and Lucknow on 30 May. The tour will then move to Bengaluru on 6 June, Hyderabad on 7 June, and conclude in Indore on 14 June.
The series continues to offer exclusive benefits for Mastercard cardholders, including priority ticket access and premium lounge experiences at venues positioning the platform as both an entertainment and lifestyle proposition.
Beyond the spotlight, the initiative carries a social dimension. Through its partnership with Learning Links Foundation, Mastercard has enabled nearly 90 students from underserved communities across cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh to experience live events often for the first time aiming to spark interest in careers within the experience economy.
As live entertainment becomes increasingly hybrid and experiential, Mastercard’s latest move signals a simple insight: today’s audience doesn’t just want a show, they want a story, a laugh and a memory, all rolled into one.
