Greek philosopher Aristotle famously said ‘Man is by nature a social animal’ and much of humankind spent 2020 proving him right — quickly adapting to the new pandemic normal of staying indoors but bringing home every kind of social activity through online platforms.

And so, a year that should have seen cultural and social activities being inhibited resulted instead in a packed calendar with events, including festivals, concerts and seminars, going online and reaching out to larger and newer audiences. Online events did not have the magic of live shows, just as a zoom party can never replicate meeting friends face-to-face, but they were the next best thing.

Though scores of public events that mark the calendar of an outgoing Indian were cancelled or postponed indefinitely after the lockdown to curtail the spread of COVID-19 was imposed in March, many went virtual. And to great effect, their organisers said.

The year started with another successful edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival in the Rajasthan capital in January, and organisers Teamwork Arts had already charted the course for the year with international editions in London, New York, Adelaide, Toronto and other major cities.