Arts workshop with volunteers from Technicolor India

SPLASH event organized at Government Higher Primary School for Boys, Devanahalli, Bangalore

Bengaluru, 19th July 2019: National Curriculum Framework (2005) recommends a dedicated period every day in schools for children to understand and practice Arts, and proposes forums like weekly Bal Sabha in schools where children can showcase their talents through various activities. Art education provides students with avenues and platforms to creatively express themselves, channelize their energies positively and experience joy in doing so.

With changing environment and dynamics that have resulted in greater need for children to express the issues they face, ChildFund India recently launched an innovative nationwide campaign ‘Khilta Bachpan’ for overall development and empowerment of children using Arts as a catalyst. Under this campaign, ChildFund India is implementing SPLASH (Splendid Platform of Learning Arts towards Sustainable Happiness) project with support from Technicolor India in selected government schools in areas including Devanahalli, Jakkur, Kaval byrasandra and DJ Halli benefitting children from underprivileged communities in Bangalore slums. The project seeks to create spaces within the schools and communities to facilitate development of artistic skills as a tool of personal empowerment for these children who have every right to enjoy their childhood. In addition to introducing Art forms, the project brings digital learning component within the school structure to enhance the learning and reading capacities of children with special learning modules of developing English in a creative format. Apart from this ChildFund has also setup Child Resource Centres in the community to engage children in various forms of Art after school hours as an out-of-school activity. The project also encourages reading through Mobile Library that visits the selected schools with appealing and interesting story books helping children inculcate the habit of reading and enhance their literacy skills.

To motivate the children, parents and schools in Bangalore while sensitizing them regarding the need for Arts as part of curriculum, SPLASH event was organized at Govt. Higher Primary School for Boys, Devanahalli, Bangalore. The event brought hundreds of children from selected schools together, who participated in the Arts workshop with volunteers from Technicolor India while having an experience of heritage sports, pottery and an opportunity to exhibit their creativity in Art exploration. The schools were given ‘Art Kits’ consisting of a range of ART materials. The event also saw amazing performances like Mime and Kolatam by students from different schools.

The event was attended by government dignitaries such as Ms. Gayatri Devi, Block Educational Officer, Devanahalli Taluka, Mr. Krishnamurthy, Deputy Director for Public Instruction, Bengaluru Rural District, Mr. Biren Ghose, Country Head- Technicolor India and Ms. Neelam Makhijani, CEO and Country Director, ChildFund India along with school children, Principals and Technicolor India employees.

Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India said, "Technicolor India is looking to help grow the next generation of artists and prepare them for the digital world. SPLASH, in partnership with ChildFund is bringing together children from government schools to excite them about a future in arts and animation.”

“With this initiative ChildFund strives to create an art-friendly and safe atmosphere in schools. We feel ChildFund India’s programs align well with some major components of the new National Education Policy, 2019 draft especially where it talks about designing curriculum and pedagogical structures based on children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development and promotes arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc. as part of the core curricular, we support this thinking. ChildFund is fortunate to have support from government, various institutions and individuals, however, we continue to garner more support to scale up this initiative. We aspire to reach more schools with this project and create a common forum for like-minded organizations and various artists to come together to take this initiative forward”, shared Neelam Makhijani, Country Director and CEO of ChildFund India.