Shapes to stories, art takes over

A group of participants was asked to create art around a circle. Soon the circle took the shape of a ball, the sun, a snowman and many other objects.

Arnit Majumdar, a Class III student from Deens Academy, Bengaluru, found the exercise and sketching as an activity, a huge moodlifter. He and many others were there at the launch of the Calcutta branch of Globalart, a unit of SIP Academy at Hyatt Centric, Ballygunge, on September 5.

The academy aims to enhance the creativity of students. From design and animation to fashion and visual arts, the academy will train students in various skills. Bengal is the eighth state to have one of these art centres, founded in Chennai. The academy trains children to be imaginative from a tender age.

In the past two decades, more than 2,75,000 students have been mentored under the programme. Globalart has 650 centres and runs 150 franchises across seven states.

The launch began with a presentation. The fun activity of turning geometric shapes into art followed, which brought the room alive with laughter and lively interactions. The guests at the event were film-maker Sudeshna Roy and artist Subrata Gangopadhyay. “I see my grandson wanting to explore his creativity, his way. Several children like him love to explore and draw on different canvases, such as walls, the bark of a tree or wherever they can. Children are naturally innovative,” said Roy, welcoming
the initiative.

Gangopadhyay also agreed. “It’s the first time that I am experiencing a different type of art training, apart from that normally imparted in schools,” he said.

Also present were Dinesh Victor, managing director and founder of SIP Academy, GlobalArt; Namrata Mukherjee, business head, Globalart-India, and Yogesh Dassani, its state head.

The plan is to open 30 new centres in the eastern market over the next three years and encourage more students to use their imagination. “I see Globalart as a medium to slow down a little bit, start thinking more about creativity and problem-solving techniques and inculcate them in one’s personality,” said Dassani.

Victor enumerated the dual vision of the new initiative. “The core vision is to develop creative thinking from a young age, which is extremely useful for children. Our vision also includes women. We want them to become teachers and entrepreneurs,” he said.