What
we do
Srijanalaya works in the field of arts education, where our goal is to bring creative and artistic activities into formal and non-formal learning systems. While the Nepali government has acknowledged the significance of creative arts as an essential part of teaching and learning at all levels, it is yet to be integrated into regular teaching practices. Teachers, school, and community leaders face challenges in introducing arts education into the culture of schools both in terms of a technical know-how as well as limited support for resources. And this is where we step in.
Over the last ten years, Srijanalaya has researched, designed, and offered alternative teaching approaches to marginalised communities across Nepal. Following is an overview of the ways in which we engage with the community through arts and arts education.
Artist led workshops
Among Srijanalaya’s regular activities are artist-led workshops carried out with a clear sense of the communities for whom they are designed . These workshops are developed and run collaboratively by a team of artists and educators, and allow participants to explore a range of artistic mediums from theater and music to visual arts and writing. The themes explored in the workshops are often based on each community’s history and the everyday lives of its members, and therefore, the experience and outcome of each workshop is distinct to its location.
A primary focus of our artist-led workshops is to identify and work closely with the local creative community which may include musicians, dancers, singers, artisans as well as poets. Our workshops can be day-long or conducted over multiple days. Our end goal is to nurture creative expression amongst the participants, encourage storytelling in different forms and provide them with a fun and new learning experience.
RESIDENCIES
Srijanalaya’s artist residencies are a unique opportunity for Nepali creators to live with and closely explore a chosen location and its community. We invite Nepali visual artists, musicians, dancers, theater practitioners, educators and writers to come and be inspired by the stories and histories of each place and to create artistic works based on their research and explorations. We encourage them to dive deep into Nepal’s rich indigenous traditions and to incorporate local materials and skills into their works.
The aim of our artist-in-residence programs is to foster creative exploration and community engagement. It provides an important platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange between the artists and the community. Our residencies can vary from several days to a month, and participants are paired with mentors from their respective fields.
Past residencies have spanned across six of Nepal’s seven provinces, including locations such as Panchase Forest (Kaski), International Mountain Museum (Kaski), Gatlang (Rasuwa), Nawalpur, Manikharka (Sindhupalchok), Gamgadi (Mugu), Deukhuri (Dang), Charkilla (Kavre), Badikedar and Dipayal Silgadhi (Doti), Haripurwa (Sarlahi), Bhajani (Kailali) and Birendranagar (Surkhet).
The aim of our artist-in-residence programs is to foster creative exploration and community engagement. It provides an important platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange between the artists and the community. Our residencies can vary from several days to a month, and participants are paired with mentors from their respective fields.
Past residencies have spanned across six of Nepal’s seven provinces, including locations such as Panchase Forest (Kaski), International Mountain Museum (Kaski), Gatlang (Rasuwa), Nawalpur, Manikharka (Sindhupalchok), Gamgadi (Mugu), Deukhuri (Dang), Charkilla (Kavre), Badikedar and Dipayal Silgadhi (Doti), Haripurwa (Sarlahi), Bhajani (Kailali) and Birendranagar (Surkhet).
PICTURE BOOKS
Picture books are a vital resource for children to develop their language and visual literacy skills, and to let their imagination come alive. At Srijanalaya we believe it is essential to open the world of picture books to children at an early age.These books should reflect the languages spoken within their homes and communities, along with those used and taught in schools.
Srijanalaya has produced over 60 picture books for children (2-6 years) and adolescents in Tamang, Tharu, Nepal Bhasa, Nepali, and English. We are dedicated to making picture books that feature characters and narratives from different backgrounds and communities. Over the years, we have built a diverse community of writers, illustrators, editors, and readers – all working together to create a more inclusive and equitable world.
Our books are available in both printed and web formats.
Srijanalaya has produced over 60 picture books for children (2-6 years) and adolescents in Tamang, Tharu, Nepal Bhasa, Nepali, and English. We are dedicated to making picture books that feature characters and narratives from different backgrounds and communities. Over the years, we have built a diverse community of writers, illustrators, editors, and readers – all working together to create a more inclusive and equitable world.
Our books are available in both printed and web formats.
TEACHER TRAINING
Srijanalaya designs practice-based teacher training to equip educators with methods to integrate art forms into core subjects such as mathematics, science, or social studies, especially at the basic school level. Teachers learn to transform their classroom environment into a place where students draw, sculpt, dance, act, create music, or write poems to engage in learning about their world.
Our goal is for teachers to develop skills to use creative mediums as learning tools in their regular classrooms. The trainings guide participants on how to incorporate art mediums such as drawing, collage, clay into the classroom space, align lessons with the school curriculum and routines, and set-up creative art spaces. The sessions are designed for one to three days, and ideally develop into long term multi-year relationships.
Our goal is for teachers to develop skills to use creative mediums as learning tools in their regular classrooms. The trainings guide participants on how to incorporate art mediums such as drawing, collage, clay into the classroom space, align lessons with the school curriculum and routines, and set-up creative art spaces. The sessions are designed for one to three days, and ideally develop into long term multi-year relationships.
EXHIBITION AND PERFORMANCE
Srijanalaya curates exhibitions and performances to celebrate the curiosities and creativity of young people and children through vibrant storytelling forms, characters, and settings. We collaborate with artists to create platforms of exchange, sharing stories through diverse forms of expression. These platforms are imagined to make art forms more accessible to young people and children as well as create joy in the community.
Exhibitions can span from a few hours to over two weeks, while performances are generally scheduled as one-time events. Smaller pop-up exhibitions are also regularly incorporated into our programs where we invite students to create and exhibit their artwork in the classroom with their communities.
Exhibitions can span from a few hours to over two weeks, while performances are generally scheduled as one-time events. Smaller pop-up exhibitions are also regularly incorporated into our programs where we invite students to create and exhibit their artwork in the classroom with their communities.
COURSES
Srijanalaya offers courses to teachers, artists, writers, illustrators, and any interested individuals who are eager to access methods of incorporating arts in education. Some of the courses include how to make picture books, teaching through the arts, storytelling techniques, and workshop design for artists. In order to invite a wider group of people to some of Srijanalaya’s innovative methods, these courses are designed to share practices that have been tried in multiple settings across Nepal in diverse communities, and developed by artists and educators over the years.
Packaged across several weeks, the courses include theory, practice, and mentorship. Demonstrations and examples that have worked are presented as concrete possibilities. Our courses are adaptable and designed to meet diverse needs. We invite requests, open calls, and collaborations to develop accredited courses and make art education more accessible.
OUTREACH
There is a saying that an image speaks a thousand words. At Srijanalaya we look for ways to slow down time so that a person can temporarily live in an artist’s world and unveil stories they are trying to convey. We collaborate with like-minded organizations to promote outreach programs centered around how to read an image - or what is known as visual literacy.
Experienced artist educators customize guided tours, hands-on workshops, and in-depth trainings around the exhibition’s core concepts to connect with a wider audience, including those who might not have otherwise participated. Each time, the team explores how to create programs so that people from different backgrounds can personally relate to the artworks, dive deeper into the issues, and leave with questions. Teachers, principals, parents, students (from basic school to master’s level), people with disabilities, and interested community members participate in reflective activities and enriching experiences to gain a deeper understanding of the issues presented by the artworks and an appreciation for the mediums of expression. These outreach programs sometimes move beyond the exhibition spaces and bring educational experiences directly to the community.
Collaborators with whom we have worked with deeply and worked with us to build the programs are photo.circle, ICIMOD, Quixote’s Cove, Siddhartha Arts Foundation, and UN Women. Some of the events have been Climate+Change, PhotoKTM, Kathmandu Triennale, and Innovation in Education Fair.
Experienced artist educators customize guided tours, hands-on workshops, and in-depth trainings around the exhibition’s core concepts to connect with a wider audience, including those who might not have otherwise participated. Each time, the team explores how to create programs so that people from different backgrounds can personally relate to the artworks, dive deeper into the issues, and leave with questions. Teachers, principals, parents, students (from basic school to master’s level), people with disabilities, and interested community members participate in reflective activities and enriching experiences to gain a deeper understanding of the issues presented by the artworks and an appreciation for the mediums of expression. These outreach programs sometimes move beyond the exhibition spaces and bring educational experiences directly to the community.
Collaborators with whom we have worked with deeply and worked with us to build the programs are photo.circle, ICIMOD, Quixote’s Cove, Siddhartha Arts Foundation, and UN Women. Some of the events have been Climate+Change, PhotoKTM, Kathmandu Triennale, and Innovation in Education Fair.
