2025 - Curriculum

Theme: Home & Identity

Below is the general curriculum for the program. The images are photos from the classes and artworks from the students as the classes progress!

Introductory Class: Students gathered for a day to make paper masks, draw landscapes, and experiment with eco-printing in preparation for the upcoming classes!

Month 1 & 2 : Students drew and painted their ideal homes, then brought their individual pieces together with some of their favorite animals in a neighborhood! These months focused on observation, simple shapes and objects, and the color palette.

Month 3 & 4: Students worked on drawing perspective from still lifes. They also worked on landscape drawing, how to sketch real life subjects, composition and shading. As one of the projects, kids drew an object (pencil, cup, glass, feather) that they have a special connection with. 

Month 5 & 6: Students worked on drawing animal forms, human figures, and portraits, developing a basic knowledge of anatomy while about learning pen and ink drawing. The students drew portraits of one another and will make them into masks.

Month 7 & 8: These sessions will be anintroduction to abstract expressions, focusing on fantasy creation with drawing and colour. Students will create a fantasy story with illustrations, and practice outdoor illustration through rapid sketch and foliage drawing, culminating in a project where kids will draw their favorite flower or bird.

Month 9 & 10: Students will interact with natural elements and transform them into art objects, developing a knowledge of natural colours and prints while working on monoprint techniques without tools. The session will culminate in a project that has students use eco-print with natural objects and colors.

Month 11 & 12: Students will hone into themes of culture, traditions, family roots, languages, foods, fashions, and traditional folk symbols (alpona, folk art motifs, patchitra) through collage making. The final project will be a group activity to create a large scroll painting or wall mural.

A poster for an art workshop scheduled on April 13, 2025, at Ballavpurdanga, Shantiniketan, Bolpur, West Bengal, hosted by Cartwheel Initiative and in association with Santiniketan Sishurtha.
A group of children and a young man holding up colorful drawings of houses, in an outdoor setting with greenery and trees in the background.
Children holding colorful masks in a classroom with decorations and pictures on the walls.
Children holding colorful traditional masks at an indoor gathering with painted artwork and people in the background.
Collection of colorful children's drawings depicting various outdoor scenes with houses, trees, animals, and landscapes, created with crayons and markers.
A group of children and a woman gathered around a table outside, looking at books and papers, with some children holding open books containing portraits and text.
Children's hands interacting with a colorful paper house drawing on a white surface, with other paper drawings partially visible.
A group of children sitting on a mat on the floor, gathered around colorful drawings and cut-outs of buildings, vehicles, and other shapes, engaged in an art activity.
A young girl with glasses holding a drawing of a stylized woman with long black hair, red lips, and simple facial features.
Two children standing indoors holding drawings of faces, one boy in a yellow shirt and shorts, one girl in a blue patterned dress with a pink backpack.
Hand-drawn illustration of a person with short hair wearing a red shirt, orange pants, and pink shoes, standing with hands on hips and holding a book.
Two children standing outside holding colorful drawings of houses. The boy on the left is wearing a blue shirt and jeans, while the girl on the right is in a dark blue shirt and pink pants. Both children are barefoot. There are trees and a brick buil