Many
times our journey with each other starts way before we actually meet.
This interconnectedness allows each one of us to thread in the
answers we are seeking, to raise questions, to explore creative
spaces within and create a beautiful weave together. Snehadhara has
offered us a space for such meetings and dialogues which has added
momentum and direction to our own personal journeys. Holding this
thought, prayer and aspiration we started , Pipilika this year.
Through
this program we opened our center and ourselves to children and
parents and invited them to co-create a learning space with us.
This was our Saturday program where we have had
facilitators along with the group explore, experiment and experience
multi-art forms like music, drama, dance, play, imagination, story
sharing, theatre to examine our beliefs, conditionings, strengths and
limitations. Pipilika means ants in Sanskrit and is constant reminder
to us that at a macroscopic level our efforts remain small
contributions to a larger cause but at a more microscopic level, each of us are capable of much more than we can imagine.
The
focus for us this year across our Pipilika program has been to
explore the methodology of working with the arts in manifold ways in
diverse spaces. The program had three main parts, the overnight
experience, the sessions at the centre and the outdoor visits. The
overnighters at the centre were designed to allow each child to
exhibit independence in taking care of their belongings, self care
needs of eating and dressing, setting up their bedding, packing/
unpacking etc. The sessions at the centre have been focused on the
following:
Art:
To address group interaction, creative expression, cognition and fine
motor skills, visual art sessions such as collage making, Mandala,
festival decorations, puppet making, zen painting, making cards,
modelling with clay etc. have taken place along with activities such
as cooking, pottery, drumming etc.
Story
telling: Was used as a means to help the group
connect to each other through stories that they either told to each
other or developed as a group. Stories were used to convey messages
and mind mapping to make associations and enhance creative thinking.
Movement
for body awareness: Movement and exercise was inevitably
a part of each session. Movement was also used as a means to bring
about body awareness. A few sessions on expressing emotions and
maintaining personal space were conducted using drama and theatre as
a medium of communication.
Animal
farm play: A very significant experience for the
children this year was the exposure to theatre techniques at the
centre and then the presentation of the play at Ranga Shankara. The
intent was to see how they receive the practices on a regular basis,
how they respond to the rigor of a production and how they carry
themselves in a social setting.
Outdoor
visits: Many outdoor visits were planned when the
children stayed over with us on Fridays to expose them
to unfamiliar space and situations as a group, adjust to
environments that are new and increase independence in managing
oneself especially when staying away from home or the centre. We
visited many places as a group from parks, temples, overnight houses
visits ( Kengeri) to one out of town overnighter (Wedding in Mandya).
We
believe that Pipilika has achieved its purpose of providing us a
space to explore and develop our own interests and strengths. We
intend to take this a step further by collectively bringing these
together and taking our many learnings many more children and
parents.
