Nurturing creativity
With books kids may be getting good grades, but it’s of little use if their imagination isn’t given wings and a creative outlet isn’t provided. With an aim to give the under-privileged kids an opportunity to expand their creative horizon, Dreaming Child Productions (DCP) is holding an educational workshop for 300 children of Vidya and Child School, Noida on April 9.
The Open My Mind festival will let children between the age of 9-18 participate in many workshops conducted by 21 eminent artistes. And workshops in filmmaking, theatre, design, dance, music and creative writing will help them harness their inherent skills.
Mahima Kaur, founder and director, Dreaming Child Productions informs, “This is the first festival of its kind where in a controlled environment we’ll be testing how children respond (to workshops) not only in arts, but also in science, well-being and commerce so that they have a picture of how life works.”
A research in NCR schools showed that children found education an arduous process as opposed to a joyful and effortless thing. Mahima avers, “I’ve worked at both ends of the spectrum — in mainstream schools as well as in bastis and have seen that such a workshop is required for all children. Children in well-off schools have lots of information, but not enough opportunities to explore them. Children after Class 10 need a platform to explore. It is important to give them the opportunity to come out of their comfort zones and let them learn something more than the curriculum they’re spoonfed.”
Participating children will learn how to handle cameras, direct, design and creative writing and Mahima informs that they then plan to hold more of the most sought after workshops at the festival and later this year have children perform in a festival themselves (under their supervision).
Aparajita Jain Mahajan, artist who will be involved with the creative visual workshop at the fest, says, “It will be interesting to see them come out and work together. I will be showing them lots of visual images and see how it opens their mind, question them — starting with what’s closer to them and then move outwards. It will give them an opportunity to expand their dream.”
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