What we do?
Agastya's Arts and MediaArts Labs are a natural extension to our multi-sensory approach to learning. Located in our Campus Creativity Lab in Gudupalli, Andhra Pradesh, the labs provides the opportunity and the right tools for children in the surrounding areas to bring out the best of their creativity, and the liberty to interpret the world around them. From photography and animation to shadow art and clay modelling, our instructors use multiple mediums to enable children to express themselves. Kalakootami, our art and creativity fair held across India, is essentially an exhibition of the work created by children in the labs. Children visiting the fair get to create their own artwork and attend screenings of videos and short films made by their peers.
Why we do it?
At Agastya, we believe in creating an environment where creativity and innovation is fostered. Arts and media act as the foundation for this, enabling children to understand their the workings of their immediate world, define their place in it, and bridge communication barriers. They also require us to learn and use critical thinking skills and become an outlet for self expression. By exposing children to an art culture and education we focus on -
- Stimulating perceptive abilities
- Finding inspiration in the world around
- Getting over creative blocks and the fear of failure
- Engaging your curiosity
- Recognizing and use creative instincts
- Working collaboratively
Promoting digital media literacy, encouraging children to create art using indigenous materials are some of the additional outcomes that we are achievie through our program. The larger goal is to motivate children to go back to their communities and use what they have been taught to hold up a mirror to their vibrant cultures and traditions for the whole world to see.
