With time and technology evolving at lightning speed — from the mobile phones in our hands to the modern vehicles we ride — education, too, needs to keep up. With this thought in mind, the Southern Indian Conference on Arts Education ensures that the role of the arts grows with the times.
Hosted by the Arts Education (Kali Kalisu) programme at India Foundation for the Arts (IFA), the three-day event, held at Chitramayee State Gallery of Art in Jubilee Hills, brought together educators, artists, and policymakers. The goal? To dive deep into how the arts can shape education through interactive workshops, thought-provoking discussions, and real-world case studies.
From integrating arts into school curriculums to exploring creative teaching methods, the conference tackled big questions about making learning more inclusive and meaningful. As Menaka Rodriguez, executive director of IFA, put it, "Arts education isn’t just about learning an art form — it’s about fostering critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. This conference is a step toward reimagining how the arts can enrich our education systems."
The event was packed with panel discussions, expert-led talks, and hands-on sessions. Swathi Vellal Raghunandan, founder-director of Ishanya India Foundation and one of the panelists during the session ‘Arts Education and Society: Understanding Cultural Perspectives’, said, “Disability was often overlooked in most conferences, treated as an afterthought. So when I was invited to speak and share my experiences while representing the disability community, I was genuinely thrilled. I hoped my insights would spark small but meaningful changes and inspire a collective commitment to making the arts truly accessible to all.”
The conversations weren’t just about theory — they were about action. Lina Vincent, art historian and curator, emphasised on sustainability and the need for collaboration over competition, saying, "We should step away from this idea of competition and into a space of collaboration. A conference like this really brings that to the fore because we are here in the capacity of sharing space, sharing ideas, sharing case studies, challenges and successes. I think many of us will go back into our spaces and maybe take the learnings that we have had and put it into action. And I think those are actionable points and can lead to the kind of equity that we need today."
As the curtains fell on this insightful event, attendees walked away with fresh perspectives, practical takeaways, and meaningful connections. With arts education evolving in India, one thing is clear — the dialogue doesn’t end here. The real impact begins when these ideas translate into action in classrooms and communities across the country.