From monetising art to mentoring underprivileged children: top SocialStories this week

This week in SocialStory, we predominantly looked into the art sector.

Pune-based Suhani Dhadphale shared how her organisation Sangam is helping artists with a platform to showcase their talent.

We also discussed the need for arts and crafts in school curriculum.

Cricketer AB de Villiers on partnering with MAD and mentoring students in India

Former South African captain AB de Villiers became a household name ever since he started playing in India and for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League. 

The cricketer has now decided to strengthen his ties with India by signing up to volunteer his time for Make a Difference (MAD) to mentor two young people supported by the NGO.

“India has been incredibly kind to me over the years; it's changed my life completely. Spending time in India, your eyes open up to new possibilities, you see different cultures, you see poverty, see something of everything over India. Most of all, they see a lot of love. I received a lot of love and I felt time to give back you know,” says the cricketer.

This 18-year-old social entrepreneur is helping artists, creators to monetise their art

Eighteen-year-old Suhani Dhadphale from Pune believes that compartmentalised education and a blinkered approach toward the art and creative industry has led to a dearth of opportunities in the creative field.

Lack of monetisation and reduced scope of innovation further discourages students from exploring the field. This is what propelled Suhani to launch Sangam India, a platform to empower artists, entrepreneurs, and creative minds.

Started in early 2020, Pune-based Sangam has a team of 32 people aged between 14 year and 24 years and a community of over 600 artists from across India. It is known for its events where artists and entrepreneurs get to showcase their skills, expand their businesses, and meet their future collaborators.

The need to make art and crafts a part of a school curriculum

Creative arts have almost faded from the Indian classroom setting in the current academic context. Once upon a time, creative courses were required for children and were accorded the respect they deserved by parents, instructors, and students. 

However, the contemporary climate of increasing academic pressure and curricular objectives has pushed arts and crafts to the periphery. It is not unheard of for academics to take precedence over extracurricular activities and for the latter to be neglected.

In the majority of instances, interested parties are still uninformed of the importance of these disciplines to a child's academic and personal development.