A student paint the wall of a house in the tribal settlement in the Parampara in Malakkad as part of an art camp, photo credit: Special arrangement
A mountainous region on the Kerala-Tamil border, in a tribal colony in Parampara Colony in Malakkad, some children sit to paint. They have found just paint, including art material – acrylic, watercolor, oil, charcoal, crayon – paper and brush. He is in an art camp, organized by Priya Shibu, an art teacher at Thrissur.
It is not often that tribal children have access to mainstream summer camps; Their holidays are often spent working. Many of them, belonging to the Kadar tribe, are accompanied by their parents who enter deep forests in search of honey, or they work in tea gardens. Priya says, “Children are not luxury to enjoy their summer holidays,” she felt that she could organize an art camp for them, which would allow them to play independently with paint and make something with their imagination.
Priya, who was teaching at the Government Model Residential School for boys in Vadakkanchari, had some students from Malakkad, with whom they developed a deep bond. He encouraged these children to find out their inner feelings and express through art. “Most of these children are incredibly talented. Their art has an honesty that is rare,” she says.
Priya Shibu with children in art camp. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Even when she left school to attend the P Bhaskaran Memorial Higher Secondary School in Kodungallaur, Priya was in touch with her alumni. She obtained permission from the Development Department of Scheduled Tribes to operate the camp in April and went with a small team of seven people – her husband, two daughters, a relative, a friend and a student.
The two -day camp, Priya says, was an unforgettable experience. While her alumni were very happy to work with her, they ensured that they brought their friends to the camp. She says, “We also had a child at the age of four. The children often brought their pet dogs and goats, who roamed honestly. In the evening, his parents also joined, re -involved in the forest with stories and experiences of life.
A painting of a tribal village by one of the participants. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In addition to her individual canvas, the children directed by Priya portrayed the walls of an elderly woman’s house, which were very happy to be part of the camp only. The children painted what they wanted, mostly included places they are used in the forest. The festivals of his temple, honey collecting, tea leaf picker, forests and animals and birds were depicted in work. “For example, Bruno, Subramanian and Tikku, their dogs were in the paintings they attracted, so there was hornbill, which is usually seen in these forests,” Priya says.
A painting by one of the participants. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In two days, he spent with the tribal community, he formed permanent friendship, says Priya. “The villagers will bring us a string of bright flowers, or small gifts to eat something. One day, there was a power outage and we were surrounded by flocks of fireflies that landed from the sky; this is an experience that I always cherished,” says Priya. Twenty -six children participated in the camp.
Painting a hornbill by one of the participants. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Priya is working with tribal children to help them channel their energies through art. While teaching in Mrs., he encouraged them to portray a library and school walls. She even took the children to Kochi in 2023, so that there could be a mural painting at the Kashi Hallegua House in the Jewish city. “Art, with their medical properties, is a great way to help these children deal with their condition. This will help them to keep alcohol and drugs closed, common among the tribal youth,” says Priya.
She runs a gallery, Pura, at her home, in Manuttapadam village, in Kodali, near Driver. 30 children’s paintings will be implicated and placed for a show in Pura. “I asked the children to suggest a name for the camp and they wanted to call it ‘Adavi’. This word means forest in their language.”
Published – May 23, 2025 12:32 pm IST
