Sanskriti rural Art Centre, a part of Young Envoys International ( a voluntary organisation that aims for global peace and international brotherhood through art activities for children and young people) is situated in Hyderguda Village in Telangana state, Hyderabad, India.
35 years back when it was established there, it was a small obscure village unconnected from the main city. It had green fields and small tiled houses where electricity and water were scare, and only one primary School and hardly any students in it. Cast and gender discrimination were prevalent and the school dropout rate was high. There was no college in the village and education for girls was almost invisible. The roads were dusty. The village had more landless labourers than landlords. It was basically a small forgotten backward village in all ways. Potters, blacksmiths, farmers, cobblers, washermen, daily wage workers, petty shop keepers had to work hard and led frugal lives. Children would play on the dusty streets as there was no constructive recreation. There was major social and economic inequality.
So, when Sanskriti opened its doors to the village children not withstanding gender, caste, religion, or social status, it became a hub of emotional outburst along with artistic expressions.
Over the years, despite urbanisation, and the visible progress in all spheres, undercurrents and prejudices still run deep. The works made at Sanskriti are conceptual and resonate with themes close to the heart of these kids, and come from their own personal experiences. They are mostly titled, simple and self-explanatory.
Many of the children are economically and socially underprivileged and aspire for equality; the girls especially look forward to go to school and get higher education. People want to go to the same temples as their privileged counterparts and all want to celebrate the festivals together. Unable to travel due to financial constrains they listen to international news and watch TV. Their aspirations for a world they wish to live in comes from there.
Sanskriti is a platform that fulfils their needs to express themselves through their artworks.
All participants are regulars at the centre and many have been working on their thoughts for years . The centre helps them steadily build up their thinking prerogatives and specific ideologies based on constructivism and openness. They work in a noncompetitive space, yet have participated in local, state level, national and international events and competitions and received prizes and accolades that give them the courage to be on par with their urban counterparts. Here are 40 linocut prints by some of these children/youth who attend Sanskriti.
For Sanskriti, B.Padma Reddy