I always begin my art sessions with bare minimum resources. The sessions rely a lot on observation, solidarity, and hope.
A few weeks back, our kids started using pencil colours. What can a small box of 10 pencil colours do?
Look at the drawing carefully. You can see two women and boy carrying firewood and grazing the cattle. Go one step ahead and you will understand that the brunt of any crisis falls on women and children in the countryside. This propels powerful research and discussion on the unaccounted labour which women put in every day! This introduces the elephant in the room- patriarchy, and inequality.
Go one more step ahead and carry out action-based community research. How can we solve this problem? What changes are to be made in the education system to address this?
This is just one chain of thought. There are innumerable interpretations. The first step is getting on the ground and identifying what the problem is.
That’s the power of 10 pencil colours! That’s the power of hope and documentation.
Look at the drawing carefully. You can see two women and boy carrying firewood and grazing the cattle. Go one step ahead and you will understand that the brunt of any crisis falls on women and children in the countryside. This propels powerful research and discussion on the unaccounted labour which women put in every day! This introduces the elephant in the room- patriarchy, and inequality.
Go one more step ahead and carry out action-based community research. How can we solve this problem? What changes are to be made in the education system to address this?
This is just one chain of thought. There are innumerable interpretations. The first step is getting on the ground and identifying what the problem is.
That’s the power of 10 pencil colours! That’s the power of hope and documentation.
