Sunitha R

This Grant was amicably cancelled based on reasons mutually agreed upon by the Grantee and IFA due to unavoidable circumstances.

Sunitha R is a visual artist and is currently pursuing her Masters in Visual Arts in Painting at Vijaya Kala Mahavidyalaya in Gadag. She has showcased her art works in many galleries. This grant enables her to work on an arts education project titled Maravembudu Ondu Jaivika Vyavasthe (Tree is an organic ecosystem) with eighth grade students at the Government High School, S M Krishna Nagara, Gadag district. This project has multiple dimensions which integrate habitation of plants and animals in the environment, leading towards a public exhibition.

Sunitha’s project emerges from questions such as, ‘How do the children perceive a tree and its innate nature? Do they understand its importance and the environment they live in? Can they see it as a habitation of insects, birds and mammals?’

With an objective to facilitate reflections and dialogue with the children, Sunitha plans a series of arts activities on observations of animals and insects on trees. She will invite science teachers, poets, writers, and theatre artists to conduct workshops for students discussing, reading and writing about their observations. The focus will be on insects, birds and mammals, documenting their adaptation to trees and shrubs. The observations will be transformed into stories, drawing, painting, clay modelling, dramatic presentations, storytelling and illustrations. The students will use also these learnings to work on their science and mathematics curriculum. 

Sunitha strongly feels that by enabling students to learn from their environment helps them to express what they feel as individuals. The project also aims to provide skills in articulation, innovative thinking and creative expressions. The outcomes of the grant will include an exhibition and a publication.

The deliverables from this project to IFA will be a copy of the publication, photographs and the video documentation of the entire project.

This grant was made possible with support from Citi India.