Against the Covid-era setup of clases being held online, Noida-based Shiv Nadar School has unveiled its integrated arts festival, Kaafila, with this third edition under the theme ‘Freedom’. Budding art enthusiasts from Russia, Japan and Mexico, and as many as 18 schools from India and abroad are participating in this event. There’s theatre, music, dance, visual arts, and also performances by actor Kumud Mishra, folk artistes and Padma Shri recipient Gulabo Sapera and musician Aditya Balani.
Highlights include a mix of competitive and noncompetitive events and workshops, a virtual gallery walk and an art platform to connect artistes in need with interested art patrons. According to Kalyaani Manoj, 16, student at Shiv Nadar School, the overall experience was a form of experiential learning.
"I consider myself very fortunate to have had this opportunity. Mentoring by experts was also a great part of this project. We were given situations where we had to think out of the box. It was a great exercise in creative thinking, raising funds, management skills and team work. Kaafila will be remembered as one of the best experiences from the online schooling of 2020," she said.
In a conversation with The Morning Standard, Manjima Chatterjee, Head of Arts Programme, Shiv Nadar School, said: “Our students should be well-adjusted citizens of the world by the time they leave school.
This can only happen if we give them enough opportunities to explore the world and their own thoughts and ideas.” Talking about the preparation for the festival, she adds, “We wanted to redefine the way school festivals are viewed. This year, with everyone in different spaces and the challenges of connecting online, we have had a different set of difficulties entirely.
Thankfully, we have a wonderful bunch of very capable and responsible students who constantly motivate each other (and me!) to keep at it, and a set of very persistent teachers who brought us the most amazing resource persons from all over the country and the world. We are so glad to have schools from Bengaluru, Ajmer and even Moscow and Osaka joining in the celebrations!”
While there have been several reports how digital education is impacting students adversely, Chatterjee said that her students decided what they want to do and how much they want to do. "When there was too much to handle, we advised them to let it go. We were extremely conscious in this regard and took care that an arbitrary decision wasn’t imposed on them," he said.
On: October 15-17