Cultural DIARY

Creative art for everybody

Art is the last subject in any curriculum. But what do we get from art, and how do we understand the value of art education is an apt question to ask as we approach the subject, "creative thinking in education"'. It is a must if we want out of the box thinkers to grow in our country.

How would creative mind be out of the box workers and thinkers. When a child was desperately drawing in a corner the teacher approached and asked "son what are you drawing? The child replied, 'God'. How do you know what god looks like", asked the teacher from the child and prompt came the reply. "You will know when I have finished drawing".

Very often we adults do not realise that within every child and teenager is a place where they need innovative thoughts to be processed and creative experimentation must take place. Their confidence is crumbled by adults and tampered with by others. Do we give our children this space? Do we brush it off as a feminine thing to do?

At a primary level how many of us draw for our children simply to get them out of our way. How many teachers in schools cut and draw things for their class simply to make it uniform and quick? Effiecent and smart, not thinking of the development of the child or the motor skills that need to develop? How many parents think their children will get injured if they cut some paper or run in the mud. How many of us make imbeciles out of our kids by jumping and doing for them what they must learn to do?

Why are there so many 'Do nots' in the vocabulary of parents and teachers today? It is to have a more organised and well-disciplined home or class?

What do we want our children to be? Is the million dollar question we must all ask, as we look into what is happening within the boundaries of education.

Shyamala School of Art is founded on the principles of freedom of expression and creative indulgence that makes a totally well balanced and better integrated human being than those kids who go through school and university having only passed exams but probably cannot even tap their toes to a baila. At Art School children learn the art of loving aesthetics and appreciating good things of life. It is said that the man who read classics and history would always be rich in his expansion of thoughts and imagination. It ought to be also said that those who learn to love the arts gain a special place in their lives that are so rich and full of imagination and is a flood of new thoughts every day. There's no need to replicate and copy another, creative people simply make something new all the time. Isn't this what the add agencies today pay to have, and the marketing department wait for, and yet cannot find them amongst or graduates and young people.

This is where Shyamala School of Art has moved into help the curricula by being an accredited body and centre for edexcel and Cambridge O/L and A/S and A/L exams in not just art but also a centre for psychology, history, and English literature.

Here is a place very centrally situated in Siripa Road, Colombo 5. Where children, teenagers and adults alike enjoy painting, sculpting, and creating the most fascinating and beautiful works with the guidance of Shyamala Pinto Jayawardena, and her trained assistants.

The Art School believes in career guidance and succession planning and self development, and this is done through parental and student counselling and guidance.

Art is a subject that students need if they want to do architecture, interior design, auto mobile design, graphics fashion design or fine arts. This should encourage parents to help children use paint and clay when they are small but encourage young people to realise their dreams and find new avenues through which they can express themselves.

To be free and happy in what you do it one great blessing and many will find the same joy on a daily basis. To live is to be innovative. To be free is to be happy. Shyamala School of Art held an Art competition re-centred and all exhibits will be on display from July 10, at no 3, Siripa road, Colombo 5.

Maxi Rozairo brings magic to 'Celeb Chat'

Legendary singer Maxi Rozairo brings his very special kind of magic ... his life ... his work ... his music ... his family ... his grand kids ... his dreams ... in a not-to-be-missed tete-a-tete with host Kumar de Silva.

Catch it all on Prime TV CSN's "Celeb Chat" at 09.30 pm on Monday July 04.

REPEAT : Tuesday July 05 at 8.00 a.m.