Children take part in a week-long art camp organised by the Odisha Modern Art Gallery on its premises in Bhubaneswar.

The gallery is hosting the art camp for children through which it hopes to channelise their creative energy into artistic pursuits.

At the camp - Fine Heart - trained artists are teaching kids different styles of art and craft techniques.

Around 20 children are taking part in the camp, which is currently on at the gallery. From making utility objects such as pen holders, photo stands and vases to learning the nuances of pottery and terracotta, the camp is engaging the participants with a variety of things.

Artists such as Manaswini Mishra and Bandita Dey are training the kids on the different ways waste materials and other articles can be used to create pieces of art, including papier mache, tribal paintings, greeting cards and patta chitra. Others like Saroj Rout are teaching them terracotta and pottery.

With most schools in the state now closed owing to the prevailing heatwave conditions, the children are making the most of their time at the camp.

"Playing with clay is fun and learning to transform it into items such as pots and vases feels great," said Class-VII student Ruchika.

"Children are more creative than grown-ups because they do not confine themselves to convention. On the other hand, the method of teaching art to the children is flawed because usually they are asked to follow the teacher's idea of art. At this camp, we are encouraging them to follow their heart and express their imaginations freely. This will build their confidence," said gallery founder Tarakant Parida.

The week-long camp will conclude on Friday but resume once more for a new batch of children from May 1.

"The second camp will be held over 15 days since the summer vacation would already have begun at the city schools," Parida said.

Text by Namita Panda Telegraph picture