Create for Good: A Genius Week Related Art Workshop

by Nitya Poudel with Bhavana Thapa

On 27 February 2017 we went to Pin Nepal for a Genius Week art workshop. In this art workshop each group would be given one topic. The topics were as set by 92Y: Bridging the divide; Health, wellness and mindfulness; News and Information; Cities & communities of the future; Displacement and Migration, The arts; and Equality and human rights. We made 8 artwork and most of them addressed cross-cutting issues so they could fit in several categories mentioned below at once.

Topic 1: Bridging the divide. How can we encourage more empathy and connection between individuals and distinct communities? Utu’s team made the outline of a rabbit and then addressed social discrimination or the subject of people being treated as untouchables because of who they were born. While the artwork focused on the problems and how children, men and women are mistreated and not included, it serves as a great example on how the team looked at the situation because while according to laws of Nepal, discrimination is not allowed, it continues all over the country. Utkrishta: “In my section, I made a woman giving someone water without touching him, Pukar made two boys playing football and not letting another person to play with them because of their caste and Neeva made someone eating by herself and not giving food to a very hungry man.” It is important that such ethnic and indigenous divides be bridged and the difference between those that have and those that have not be addressed.

Topic 2: Health, wellness and mindfulness: How can we ensure people have the resources to live healthy lives? How can we be more mindful in a fast-paced world? In health, wellness and mindfulness we had to make artwork of how we can ensure people have the resources to live nice and healthy lives. We have made one artwork in which we had made the drawing of people who are cleaning their community such as cleaning the clothes, sweeping the floor, throwing garbage in the dustbin. They have made a wonderful tree which focuses on education and hospital and zebra crossings. Smriti, Sarita, Sushmita and Sumitra were involved in this conversation and we really liked what they have seen. In a nation like Nepal where there are not enough hospitals and doctors, where education is being mainstreamed, where drivers are not kind to children and old people who are crossing the streets, it just makes us realize how we need infrastructure, roads and buses so children and youth can attend school.

Topic 3: News and information: How can we re-establish trust in media and ensure journalistic standards, integrity and access to reliable information? In news and information we made an artwork on how can we re-establish trust in media. Sushma Maharjan, Basanti Neupane, Sangita Bhattarai, and Anita Bhattarai made the artwork of a water bird within which different forms of media were highlighted. With radio having a great impact on Nepalese communities, computers are making a huge change to remote communities as well as emerging urban areas, tv now offers 150 channels from around the world, newspapers have many different opinions and ideas, and the phone connects families and people who are outside the country as well as inside the nation. They have created a beautiful world in which different forms of media work together to improve the condition of human beings.

Topic 4: Cities & communities of the future: What does your ideal city of the future look like? How can we create smarter cities and communities for the 21st Century to ensure more efficient and equitable living? We have an art work in which the people have built hospitals, police stations, and other infrastructure. This shows how the cities are going to improve in the coming years. During the Maoist insurgency and war and then the devastating earthquake of 2016, hospitals collapsed, police stations were burned, banks were displaced, and things became very bad. Susmita, my sister, and her team made the outline of the Spiny Babbler bird and made people cleaning up the community inside of it. After we made all the outside of the things we were drawing we made small boxes in which we were going to make the artworks in. According to Susmita, “I made someone sweeping and Anita made someone picking up the trash and throwing them in the dust bin, Nitya someone washing the clothes and filling water in the bucket, and Shaswat made someone bathing. Our message is that all of us are working together. No matter if we are rich or poor, we want our communities to be working together for the betterment of our people!”

Topic 5: Displacement and migration: How can we better balance security while also helping refugees and displaced people facing humanitarian crises? In displacement and migration you have to make art work of how can we maintain better security, financial opportunity, and include new people within our communities while helping people who are facing humanitarian crises. We have an artwork of people  have gone to a new rural area where they are not welcomed to water taps, a girl goes cut grass for the animals while a boy goes to school, new ethnic groups are not allowed in the temple, women are not allowed to sleep in the house during their menstruation. These types of problems are inbred in  communities and have become more prominent as the stronger members of the families go abroad and the weaker members are left back home to face discrimination.

Topic 6: The arts: How can we nurture and develop voices that lead to social change? In the topic, the arts, we have to make an art work of how can we develop voices that lead to social change. Artwork is a very powerful medium that is used by development and social organizations as well as political and social movements for change. In a nation where there are 110 ethnicities and 55 languages, art speaks across a wide divide and brings people together. Artwork placed in community areas can make a huge difference. Spiny Babbler has done projects related to alternative media and the use of the arts to make impact and bring about positive change. So many different ideas and discussions that took place regarding change for good helped us become more thoughtful and aware of what is happening around us and what could happen especially if we can contribute in some way.

Topic 7: Equality & human rights: How might we create a more equitable environment and fairness for all people? There is also an art work of people pouring the water in the hands of untouchable people and people drinking water like that. In one artwork people have made the art of people using communication devices such as tv, telephone, computer, news paper in the context of exploitation of women for sex. A lot of Nepalese women and children are used in India, the Gulf nations, and other places as sex slaves. After the earthquake, 161 children were rescued from being sold at the border according to Ecpat Luxembourg. This artwork was made by Istina, Angura, and Samjhana. This artwork does not explain people trusting in media but how news, papers, tv and radio can actually save lives of women and children. Other artwork share how education, health, a better environment, right to religion and tolerance should be available to all of us.

Thank you for reading this blog. We hope to continue writing more and letting you know of what is going on at Spiny Babbler and Nepal regarding the global Genius Week initiative led by 92Y of New York.