On the one hand, they offer meticulously planned activities but on the other hand, they also allow an absolute free reign of the mind. Here children are asked to try and make their pigs fly without wings. Teachers are challenged to draw things that have no shapes. Students are acquainted with the works of artists such as Picasso and Frank Stella. They are also read storybooks and encouraged to draw their own version of the main characters. At last, Nepali children seem to have found their champion of creativity.
We have all at one point complained about our rote and rigid educational system but the team at NCAM, armed with their personal museum space are actually doing something about it. "How we work with kids is basically by educating them about various things but through art. We focus on how kids can continue learning out of their classrooms, after schools, out of their homes. We focus on informal learning in museum spaces," explains Sneha Shrestha, founder of NCAM.
For instance a couple of months back, in collaboration with the third graders of Euro School, they had dedicated their entire space to endangered animals. The students who were studying the topic in their classes made the exhibited pieces themselves. There was a guest speaker, plenty of team work, 3D effects and loads of learning at the same time. The main point of the exhibit was to help unleash children's creativity.
Something that educator Niranjan Kuwar agrees is rarely a priority in our culture. "Art has yet to be given the importance that it deserves in our educational system. So an initiative like NCAM is always welcome."
If we think about it, even our school's regular art classes come with a set of instructions. Students are almost always told what to draw, and how and which colors to use and where. Children rarely ever get the opportunity to just express themselves on paper and the first victim of this rote and rigid educational system is always their imagination.
"During one of our summer camps, we actually had a parent go up to his daughter and criticize her drawing. The father was telling his child to hold the paint brush in a certain way and use certain colors. After the comments, we could see the child's confidence fade away. She probably had her mind set on what her art would look like but she wasn't getting a chance to show it. We made a polite excuse and got the father out of the room," says program coordinator Pranjali Singh Shrestha.
Concepts like individual thinking and self expression sadly aren't widespread in our culture. In fact some might argue that they are simply not welcomed and the restrictions can be felt from childhood itself. So in a refreshing turn of events, NCAM is a platform where children from everywhere can freely express themselves. They can make what they want and show it off.
"Self pride is another thing we are trying to instill in kids. In many ways children are told they are not good enough. It's always about marks and positions. While growing up if I didn't win an art competition, I was made to feel like I wasn't good enough. Like my imagination wasn't good enough but here we don't want any child to ever experience that. An individual's imagination is everything and here they can express it whichever way they want," says Sneha.
The proof of their support can be seen all over the e ver changing walls of NCAM. There are assortments of drawings and write ups. Some even hang from the ceiling in shape of a glorious paper chandelier. Their museum space is constantly manipulated and redesigned to accommodate their various programs and showcase the ever increasing work of the children who come there.
"This is not an art class though," warns Nistha Shrestha, director of NCAM. "There are still some parents who see the paints splattered across the canvas and indignantly point out that that's not art. Well, this is not an art school. We are not focusing on the technical aspects of drawing and painting. We are trying to help children express their voice through educational and creative outlets. To say that everybody coming through this space understands what we are doing and what they are seeing would not be true. Perhaps it's because this is still a relatively new concept."
Rose Pradhan from Children's Care Club orphanage though can already see the positive impact NCAM's belief and system has had on her organization's kids. It's been almost a year that she has been taking groups of children to their various classes and she claims it's always a highlight of the week.
"It's wonderful to see youngsters come up with such exciting projects. Their classes and teaching techniques are incredibly out of the box. I have always been an art enthusiast but even I didn't know all the possibilities that art held. It's good that kids have this," says Pradhan.
They are certainly not alone. The crew at NCAM can see the changing trends in people's perspective. They report that there are more parents, schools, and organizations who are slowly starting to realize that creative activities are the building blocks of a child's development. Generations before might have been largely robbed of such luxury but not anymore. NCAM has plans to reach as many Nepali children as possible with various art and literacy based programs like their Weekend Carnivals and the upcoming three day Spring Fest starting from April 17, just to name a few.
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