STORY CREDITS
Writer/Editor: Shivangi Vasudev Bhatt
Photo: Media and Communication, IIT Gandhinagar
The Camp’s sessions were intended to introduce students and teachers to the idea of having art education in the school curriculum for a well-rounded education and overall student development. Art paired with education fosters creativity, self-expression and collaboration. It allows students to develop critical thinking skills and could also aid in building scientific inquiry. It promotes cultural awareness and interdisciplinarity and enhances overall academic achievement. Studies have also shown that students who participate in art education perform better academically. Art, integrated into other disciplines, enriches the overall learning experience.
The event engaged students, teachers, and parents through a range of activities and sessions spanning three days, focusing primarily on how art serves as a bridge between different disciplines, encouraging students to think creatively and critically about the world around them.
Through ‘Camp Art & Learning’, IITGN brought together some incredible individuals who have been working in and researching different forms of art. Through their stories, experiences and insights, students and teachers were extensively exposed to various means of nurturing creativity and self-expression in learning and stimulating scientific inquiry through art. This provided them a gateway to holistic learning. Highly regarded professionals from India and abroad who addressed the workshop include:
- Brian Brophy, Hollywood actor, theatre artist, Director of Caltech Theater, and Scholar-in-Residence at IITGN, spoke on “How to Strengthen Scientific Communication through Storytelling”
- Jaya Iyer, theatre activist, film director and facilitator, spoke on “Theater for Exploring Oneself and to Experience the World”
- Avani Varia, heritage professional, artist, and Art Curator at IITGN, spoke on “Art and Sustainability: Role of Youth in India”
- Arghya Manna, comics artist, visiting artist at the MIT, and Artist-in-Residence at IITGN, spoke on “Exploring Science through Drawing”
- Cynthia Campoy Brophy, founder of ArtworxLA and Artist-in-Residence at IITGN, spoke on “Creativity in the Classroom”
- Sameer Sahasrabudhe, Professor of Practice of Design at IITGN, spoke on “Animate to Educate”
- Kanmani M, environmental researcher, artist, and Senior Research Fellow from the Chemical Engineering discipline at IITGN, spoke on “Art and Contemplation”
- Anisha Mohanty, musician, songwriter, artist, and an alumna of IITGN, spoke on “A Young Student’s guide to Documenting Art”
The Camp facilitated:
⮚ Creativity and free expression in unique ways, which helped build confidence and self-esteem.
⮚ Critical thinking skills through art, which helped them in all aspects of life.
⮚ Cultural awareness through art education.
⮚ Incorporation of artistic elements into science, history, and literature. Students, for example, created a series of drawings inspired by a scientific concept.
⮚ Creation of art-based scientific inquiry. Students used art as a tool for scientific inquiry, such as by creating observational drawings of plants or animals or using photography to document the stages of an experiment or illustrating a scientific concept.
⮚ A holistic learning environment through the sessions.
The Camp was concluded with ‘Visualising Through Drawing’ competition. One of the skills students developed during the ‘Camp Art & Learning’ sessions was to improve their visual imagination and draw things that aren’t always in front of their eyes. Students were encouraged to participate in this competition by illustrating concepts and exploring their artistic talents. Participants submitted their drawings on the Camp Art and Learning website for a chance to win exciting prizes. Four school students from classes 6 – 12 were eligible to receive cash awards worth Rs 10,000/-.