Children jubilant at Sufia Kamal Shangskriti Prangon’s art camp

"I feel like I can make anything I want with clay. Take a look at my turtle!" exclaimed 5-year-old Afrida, showing off her proud creation with a twinkle in her eyes. She was a participant at the Art Camp 2022, a delightful small-scale program hosted by "Sufia Kamal Shangskriti Prangon" on the serene premise of "Sajher Maya", the late poet's residence.  

Aimed towards participants aged between 3 to 16 years, the event included hands-on classes on paper crafts, clay art, and painting. In the separate practice stations arranged for each art form, the children were seen engrossed in the fun demonstrations by professional instructors. They were fixated on creating their own pieces with palpable enthusiasm.

As a non-profit cultural centre, "Sufia Kamal Shangskriti Prangon", has previously hosted multiple art campaigns for children on a regular basis. Due to the pandemic, this is the first one that they have hosted after a long break. "The children who grew up amidst the pandemic missed out on a number of experiences. Their worlds were replaced by screens," said Saeeda Kamal, one of the organisers, and youngest daughter of Sufia Kamal. "And so, we wanted to engage them in ways that would allow them to live the little joys of a normal childhood—be it fiddling with crafts, or playing around with colours.''

While painting and paper crafts are fairly common art practices enjoyed by the little ones, the inclusion of clay art in a children's art camp feels like a distinction. Splashing around in mud puddles after rain showers and making "tepa putul" and other small toys out of earth and clay with friends may be precious reminisces shared by our parents, but not something most kids hailing from an urban area can relate to.

So, seeing the participants' little faces scrunched up with concentration as they proceeded to recreate the little "tepa putuls" and birds with clay, was a treat for everyone present. The painting station along with the paper craft table was also lively with kids creating whatever they wanted to, as the parents rejoiced at the vibrant pieces piling up. I could not help but notice that the children were free to attend whatever they felt like practising, which gave them the scope to make their own choices without any creative restrictions.

Another thing that stood out was the professionalism and utter adoration with which the organisers and the teachers graced the young crowd. From being attentive to the stream of eager questions, to patiently guiding all the kids through trial and errors, they contributed to the homely environment where, creativity had no rules. ''Teaching children always makes me feel like I'm one of them. The energy is infectious,'' said Mohammad Abul Kalam Mia, one of the most veteran Terracotta artists of the country, who was present as an instructor.

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Art Camp for coronavirus victims held virtually

A beautiful weekend morning charged with positivity and artistic freedom is truly something all children should experience. The Art Camp is still open for participants on Saturday, 24 September. The schedule and registration details are up on the venue's Facebook page.