Growing Arts Education in India, No ‘Artist’s Touch’ Required

 
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Growing Arts Education in India, No ‘Artist’s Touch’ Required

Dharmesh Moleshri, Growth & Outreach Manager, Saturday Art Class

11-06-2024

Children preparing for their art exhibition. Photo: Saturday Art Class.

Saturday Art Class (SArC) started as a small initiative: a weekly art class for 30 children in Shankarwadi MPS School, a Mumbai public school serving children from nearby low-income communities. Co-founders Manasi, an educator, and Chhavi, a volunteer art teacher, saw firsthand how the academic pressures and rote learning methods left students little room to enjoy joyful space and express themselves. These children had so much to share, so many emotions to express, yet the traditional solely academic-focused education offered them no outlet.

In these early sessions, students explored their thoughts and emotions through visual arts, often sharing things they’d never voiced before. This new space was a departure from the daily grind of memorization, allowing kids to experience holistic learning that nurtured their creativity and social-emotional learning (SEL). The students coined the name “Saturday Art Class,” marking the start of a movement. Over the past seven years, SArC has grown from this one classroom to programs across 13 states in India, thanks to partnerships with government bodies and nonprofits that share our field’s collective vision. Through digital efforts, SArC has reached over 1 million children worldwide.

Students making art. Photo: Saturday Art Class.

Initially, SArC was a volunteer-driven initiative. Artists, teachers, and enthusiasts from various backgrounds volunteered to facilitate sessions in underserved schools, creating temporary spaces for learning through art. But this approach presented challenges. Volunteer facilitators would rotate, disrupting consistency and depth in children’s learning experiences. We soon realized that to create lasting impact, we needed a more stable approach. This led us to transition to a teacher-led model, where academic teachers who already knew the children were trained to integrate art and SEL into their classrooms.

This was a necessary challenge. In a city like Mumbai, India’s financial capital, 300 out of the 400 public schools do not have a designated art teacher. Many schools rely on academic subject teachers to handle “art classes,” despite their lack of formal training or experience. While working in rural and remote regions, we realized that the situation worsened outside of Mumbai, reflecting a nationwide trend that affects over 250 million children in government and low-income private schools. Recognizing that hiring specialized art teachers was not feasible for many schools, we developed the “Art for Educator” (AFE) program to empower existing teachers as facilitators of visual arts and SEL.

Students’ artwork on display at an exhibition stall. Photo: Saturday Art Class.

With AFE, teachers receive weekly lesson plans through a WhatsApp chatbot, providing them with resources to lead art sessions that help children explore their emotions and creativity. The program’s primary aim is to break down barriers to ‘the arts’—not just for students but educators as well. Kiran Sir, a participating teacher with no arts background, initially felt unsure about leading art activities. But after receiving training and structured lesson plans, he found that guiding creative exercises didn’t require him to be a professional artist. Today, his students engage in creative art projects where they explore themes like color and emotion. He notes that students are more expressive and empathetic, often helping each other with their work and creating a sense of community in the classroom.

To expand the reach, we began collaborating with other nonprofits, academic institutions, and government bodies. Through these partnerships, we’ve shared our learning and exercises, increased our knowledge and resource pool, and helped other organizations improve their own educational efforts. This partnership model has been instrumental in reaching 178 thousand children pan-India.

Working with existing teachers and school has allowed us to build upon existing school routines and provide children with a sustained access to safe space of learning. This shift turned out to be transformative: teachers like Niyati, who once struggled to make use of an “art period,” now lead structured, SEL-based art sessions that students look forward to each week. She shares, “In my school that had no art education or time blocks, SArC has been really helpful in bringing structure to art in our classrooms. For the students, every art class has been a fun time, and it’s beautiful to see them meditatively work towards their artworks.”

Key in all this is the program’s focus on visual arts, a powerful SEL tool. Visual arts encourage open-ended expression, don’t necessarily require specialized skills, in both teachers and students. Research shows that arts education improves academic engagement, school attendance, and social-emotional skills. Visual arts also allow children to explore emotions in a nonverbal, intuitive way, prioritizing expression over technical skill. Teachers, too, discover their creative sides, often finding joy in guiding these exercises and learning alongside their students.

In these classrooms, art becomes a bridge for connection, helping those in the room build confidence and perseverance. In one memorable session, a ten-year-old student shared his interpretation of a Mondrian-inspired painting, explaining how the colors represented different parts of his life. This moment underscored how art enables children to find meaning in ways that are personal and unique, giving them an opportunity to reflect on their experiences in a supportive setting.

Educators showcasing their artwork after training. Photo: Saturday Art Class.

Through our research, advocacy, and digital expansion, we’re working to build a supportive ecosystem that uplifts existing education efforts. As part of this, our Creative Art Express, designed in partnership with Pratham International, offers educators free resources to bring creativity to the forefront of learning, with tools that enhance student engagement through visual arts. Additionally, we’re conducting a pan-India study on the current state of arts education to understand its impact on children and provide data that will shape future education policies. Our research reports offer insights into the effects of visual arts and SEL on holistic student development, suggesting best practices to create safe spaces for children’s growth. If you’re an organization seeking to amplify your on-ground efforts, let’s collaborate. Reach out to explore a partnership that strengthens impact and scales meaningful change. As a galvanized field, we can make creativity, compassion, and confidence accessible to children and educators everywhere.

Art Education, Art for Educators (AFE), Arts Integration in Schools, Arts Policy Research, Community Building, Creative Art Express, Creative Expression, Digital Expansion, Educational Advocacy, Emotional Development, Government Partnerships, Holistic Learning, Inclusive Education, India Education System, Innovative Education Solutions, Low-Income Communities, Mumbai Public Schools, Nonprofit Collaborations, November 2024, Saturday Art Class, School-Based Arts Programs, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), student engagement, student-centered learning, Teacher Training, Transformative Education, Visual Arts in Education

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