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Rational Games is proud to take the occasion of this month’s blog to introduce our latest grantee: Slam Out Loud (SOL) of Delhi, India – specifically their Project Arts for All.
SOL leverages the power of performance and visual arts (like theatre, storytelling, spoken word poetry) to build Creative Confidence (life) Skills like communication, critical thinking, and empathy in children aged 10-17 from disadvantaged communities. Interestingly, these are also the central skills that we teach in RGI negotiation seminars!
According to Jigyasa Labroo, Co-Founder and CEO, the idea is to create a “safe space” for artistic expression, going beyond the rote reading, writing and arithmetic which defines the Indian secondary school system. While they have long-term, high-touch programs with 50000 children across India, their low-tech art-learning resources have brought the magic of arts to 4.7 million children across 23 Indian States and 19 countries. By engaging with art and artistic opportunities, through SOL’s programs, the children are able to find their voice, navigate the challenges of their circumstances and break out of the cycle of negative outcomes that children from low-income communities are often stuck in.
Check out this video to experience the joy that Voice For All brings
Their Voice For All program enables access to art education resources through digital platforms and facilitator training. The e-learning content is interactive, vernacular, free of cost, and adaptable to context. Children create and share original artwork upon completion of e-learning courses through community gatherings or on digital platforms. End-of-year showcases and melas (festivals) give the kids a chance to show what they learned and to transport their message of peace through poetry to the wider community.
To do this, they recruited an impressive roster of local teachers and guest artists to develop and deliver the curriculum. With Pratham Education Foundation as their education partner for Voice For All, SOL’s theatre course has been implemented in 950 villages across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Maharashtra reaching out to 50,000 children.
This program was brought to us by our friends at www.unleash.org, where Slam shone as a finalist in their annual funding competition. The synergies with the work and mission of RGI are truly beautiful, and include:
Their strong link to SDG 4, Education, interpreted creatively
Their swift pivot in early 2020 to digital and low tech online interventions, using flexible and contextual “PraDiGi” tech as well as platforms like WhatsApp, IVRS which allowed uninterrupted programming even in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
Their innovative work in Kashmir, which remains one of the world’s most difficult conflict regions
More resources to explore:
India : Arts for All, Slam Out Loud. Education Continuity Stories. (2020) World Bank
The Possibilities of Art in Socio-Emotional Learning: Curating Young Learners’ Well Being (2020) UNESCO MGIEP
What Happens when Children Engage with Art? (2020) WISE, Qatar Foundation
Art in your inbox (2020) Mid Day India
DIY Visual Art – YouTube (2020) Slam Out Loud
DIY Poetry – YouTube (2020) Slam Out Loud
DIY Storytelling – YouTube (2020) Slam Out Loud
Welcome, Slam Out Loud! Comments welcome!
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