KMB6: ABC Art Room a Space to Address the Child in You, says District Collector

KOCHI:
The Art Room “is a space for expressing oneself, reflect and address the child in you. We have been transferring generational trauma over the years and such spaces will help us return to what a child symbolises—fearless, innocent, non-judgemental, non-competitive and joyful,” Ernakulam District Collector G Priyanka said.

“The space is not just for children but for adults too,” she said, inaugurating the Art by Children (ABC) programme of the Kochi-Biennale Foundation (KBF) in the Art Room, Fort Kochi Water Metro Station.

Noting that the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) brings people across the world together, she said it has also helped place Kochi on the global map as a sought-after tourism destination.

The sixth edition of the KMB has two Art Rooms in Fort Kochi for hosting workshops led by artist-facilitators in diverse fields for a limited number of participants, the other being in Bastion Bungalow. Thought-provoking images and concepts of students from schools in Ernakulam, Thrissur and Alappuzha have been featured in the venue.

The Art Room, the main project of ABC programme, commenced in 2018 with dedicated Art Rooms set up in government schools across Ernakulam, Thrissur, Alappuzha and Palakkad districts of Kerala.

KBF Trustee and platinum benefactor Mariam Ram said the Art Room, currently functioning in government schools, could also be set up in private schools on a paid basis.

KMB President Bose Krishnamachari said The Water Metro Art Room has been spruced up for children and adults to explore creativity. He expressed gratitude to the District Collector and Loknath Behera, the managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd for their support to KBF in this regard.

ABC Programme Lead Blaise Joseph welcomed the gathering. KBF trustee Bony Thomas also spoke on the occasion. ABC Programme Associate Neethu KS, Mattancherry GHSLPS headmistress Sunita C R, Art Room facilitators, Jiji Ajith; Salvin Francis; Aswathy G.S; Kiran E.V.S.; Pramod Gopalakrishnan and Dhanyamol P.C; teachers, students and their parents were present.

ABC workshops in the coming days include exploring the sustainable fashion world at the Art of Sew-Free Draping Workshop by Anuj Sharma known for his Button Masala, an award-winning technique, a revolutionary, stitch-free clothing system. The two-day workshop will be held from December 16 in ABC Art Room, Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi.

The four-day ‘The Guardian Galaxy – A Mask Making Workshop’, facilitated by Melbourne-based educator and visual artist Manasee Jog, begins from December 17 in Water Metro Art Room.

Participants can engage with concepts such as the white male gaze, Brahmanical gaze, image-making, narrative construction, and the portrayal of marginalised identities in popular culture at Crossover facilitated by writer-filmmaker Jyoti Nisha from December 18 to 22 in Art Room, Bastion Bungalow (3 days) and Forplay Society, Fort Kochi (2 days).

“Hands That Tell Stories – Glove Puppetry Workshop”, facilitated by puppeteer Anurupa Roy, will be held in ALA Centre for Culture and Alternative Education, Mulanthuruthy, from December 22 to 24 while the final performance will be featured in ABC Art Room, Bastion Bungalow, Fort Kochi.