With art as medium

Crying mother earth, industries polluting air and water, the globe on fire — these are some of the themes of drawings that portrayed the impact of climate change at a recent painting exhibition in Chitradurga. And, to know that those who sketched them are school kids makes the activity all the more different. It is one of the many such events organised by Kala Chaitanya Samsthe — Bedre Art Academy based in Chitradurga.

The organisation has been conducting special drawing workshops in and around Chitradurga for the past 14 years. Every year, five programmes are conducted by the organisation for children. A unique feature of these programmes is that they are held in open places that are known for their natural beauty or historical importance. “In our workshops, environment becomes the source of inspiration and knowledge for kids. The main reason for organising the workshops amidst nature is to make kids connect with their natural surroundings,” says Bedre Nagaraj, founder of the academy.

The academy was initiated in 2002 with the help of like-minded people. Every year, with the support of academic organisations, State Pollution Control Board, Kannada and Culture Department and the Department of Public Instruction, the academy organises five art and drawing workshops on environment related issues. Being an artist by profession, Bedre Nagaraj has been nurturing the talents of children to transform them into environment ambassadors.

Even though the subject remains the same, the theme of the workshops and camps changes every year. On special days like World Water Day, World Ozone Day and World Environment Day, children participate in different activities to create awareness about environment conservation. Last year, as part of wildlife week, children wore masks portraying different animals and engaged in various activities in Chitradurga Fort, making the tourists aware of many aspects of wildlife conservation.

“Through their conversation with the tourists, children ensured that the slogan of ‘Protect animals, save environment’ touches their heart,” says HKS Swamy, a resource person with the academy. “Such activities that demand active involvement attract children easily. At the same time, such efforts help them understand the significance of conserving environment and the impact of destruction that is happening now. They disseminate the information more effectively than adults,” he adds.

Reuse & recycle
Along with training kids in drawing and organising competitions, the academy is also teaching kids about the concepts of reuse and recycle through growing plants in old plastic bottles and making science models with waste materials like thermocol. The idea of ‘art from waste’ makes the awareness process exciting for kids. In collaboration with the Horticulture Department, the academy has been conducting kitchen garden training programmes for children. T Thotayya, senior assistant director, Horticulture Department, has been training children in waste reuse and gardening activities.

Other major activities of the academy include theatre and personality development programmes. “KPM Ganeshayya of Rangasourabha facilitates theatre activities, while wildlife photographer Karthik trains them in birdwatching. Since experienced and those who are in the field are supporting us as resource persons, the programmes are always effective,” elucidates Bedre.

As an extension of its activities, the academy has been spearheading an awareness campaign about the eco-friendly celebration of festivals. As part of the campaign, children visited every house in the city during Ganesha Chaturthi and asked people to opt for eco-friendly Ganesha idols. During Deepavali, children convinced other kids and adults to celebrate the festival without crackers.

While they create awareness, kids also get trained in fine arts like drawing, painting and theatre. Many kids trained here have made a mark at state level competitions. “I have been participating in the environment camps organised by Bedre Academy since I was six years old. Along with knowing more about environment, I have also improved my drawing skills. This has helped me bag many prizes at local and district level competitions,” says Divya, a student of Class 9. “Having participated in the workshops for many years, now I am confident of sketching attractive and thought-provoking drawings with environment as the theme,” says Harshiya Kousar, another student.

Many students apply the lessons learnt in day-to-day life and use waste materials to make school projects. “In the age of social media and modern technology, such workshops help our kids understand the real world and get connected with it. I have observed that the exposure from the workshops help kids become independent. My daughter does her projects on her own and every time, the output will be innovative and informative,” opines Dr Sumathi, whose daughter Shreya is a regular at the camps organised by the academy.

In the last 14 years, over 8,000 kids have participated in the programmes organised by the academy. The academy has a good collection of environment-related drawings sketched by the kids. It is planning to utilise these drawings by organising exhibitions at government schools under the title ‘Makkala Manassina Chitragalu’. One can contact the academy at [e-mail] or on 9886991508.

(Translated by AP)