Creativity Adda Delhi Newsletter, April 2019
Highlight Of the month
Election Fever at Adda!!! We are happy to share that before the parliament’s election, we have formed our very own democratic council elected on consensus-based decision making by all Adda members. In the process, our alternative learners experienced first-hand the process of making informed decision-making and how to organize a free and fair election inclusive of and for everyone. The candidates for the council also were able to improve their communications skills and learned what it means to take on a leadership role in the community by talking about their manifesto and introducing what changes and work they will do when getting elected. Congratulations to Sakib who got the maximum number of votes. Together with all other Creativity Adda kids, he will work hard to implement all the ideas he presented at the candidates hearing. As Sakib says, he will always be open for all suggestions by others and try to include them wherever and whenever he can.
Community Media Lab
Media Buzz!! Members of our Community Media Lab engaged in a variety of photography and video projects this month. As it was the month of general elections as well, some of our alternative learners set out to ask the local community in Mukherjee Nagar about their views on important issues related to the elections and to highlight some of the themes and topics most important to the local community. As part of their YouTube program ‘Delhi Meri Jaan’, the Adda children hosted a special election edition in which, other than what happens on national, commercialized television, people themselves were given a voice to share their perspectives and expectations in order to build towards a more inclusive understanding of democracy in India.
https://www.facebook.com/creativityaddadelhi/videos/321293658578466/
Nature photography !! Other highlights of this month included a nature photography shoot of our new hub members, the production of a dance video as a collaboration between the Media and Dance Hub of Creativity Adda, and another video blog as part of the Delhi Meri Jaan show.
A Dance video shooted by our media team. https://www.facebook.com/creativityaddadelhi/videos/2328243080567348/
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS!!
Akash and Abhishek Gupta, 11th class from our Community Media Lab recently took on a photography assignment given to them by Bhoomi for their event sponsored by Air France KLM Airlines Group. Getting a fully paid assignment task, including learning how to understand and negotiate the terms of the contract, set specific goals and objectives to be fulfilled and communicating appropriately and effectively with outside customers gave both of them some important first-hand experience, helped them to acquire more communications and management skills and also boosted their self-confidence. Special Thanks to Ankit for connecting us with Bhoomi. If you also want to tap into the enormous range of creative and innovative skills and employ some of our alternative learners for projects and assignments, from photography and film-making to music, dancing, organic food preparation and much more, please let us know and get in touch with us!
Slow Food Junior Chefs Academy!!
Kabaab Time!! Our junior chefs were busy this month in experimenting with some Kabaab variations. Sajid, our experienced junior head chef lead the way by showing his friends how to make HarabharaKabaab. Other variations included GhiyaKabaab, SheekKabaab and DahiKabaab. They were also joined by some of our dancers, Himanshu, Nitesh and Rah who wanted to learn how to prepare kabaab so they could also do it at home for their family.Akash, one of the children in the Organic Food Hub, curiously asked what is the difference between kofta and kabaab, Sajid explained that the main difference lies in the gravy and the way they are cooked and served. Other highlights in this month included the preparation of Tawa Pizza Sandwich, Samosa variations, jacket potato and Sabudana Kheer. Rohit, who recently joined the Organic Food Hub, initially shared with the others that he does not like to eat Sabudana, but after learning how to make it and tasting it he changed his opinion and says he wants to prepare this dish at home for the entire family.
Urban Garden !!
(Re-)Connecting With Nature!! Being in a big city such as Delhi often seems to prevent us from connecting with nature. But that does not have to be the case, as we are proving now with our urban farming experiment at Creativity Adda! Over the last months, our alternative learners were putting much efforts and passion into building an urban garden where we can grow various plants as well as spices and vegetables to be used by our junior chefs of the Organic and Healthy Cooking Hub. Thanks to all the work of the Adda children, a small green oasis is emerging in the heart of Mukherjee Nagar. Additionally, being able to see and share the fruits of their hard work first-hand, some of the boys are now growing their vegetables at home, contributing to a greener community.
Music, Dance and Art Academy!!
Music Hub
Music In the Air!! Our new Music Hub facilitator Arjun and his enthusiasm and love for music has in no time spilled over to the Music Hub members who are busy practicing a variety of new songs across different genres. They include Ek Pal Chain naaAawe, Sajna tera bina, Sawanbeetojaayepiharwa, and Raag khamaj.
Different Exposures
Another highlight of this month for our musicians was to attend a classical music programme at Mehrauli, Raag Durga Teen Taal performed by Shiv Prasad Rao ji.
Dance Hub
Prakash, our Dance Hub facilitator, recently participated in the Artist League India workshop. He found it really useful and shared with his team how to make the balance and focus and their importance. Our Change Makers dance group had an opportunity to perform in an event at Dheerpurat the occasion of the celebration of Dr. Bheem Rao Ambedkar’s Birthday. Their performance was much lauded and applauded by the crowd — a testimonial for this is the Appreciation Trophy awarded to the Change Makers. As the group says, this motivates them more to work hard and come up with their own, ever more sophisticated choreographic and dancing styles.
Sports and Fitness Hub!!
Skating Champs!! Sakib, Faiz and Nikhil from the Sports Hub participated in the 5th Delhi NCR Inter-school Khel Mahotsav2019 and won two Gold and one silver medals. Another seven of our Sports Hub team also participated in the National Open Roller SkatingChampionship held at Taalkatora Stadium. Faiz, Sakib and Amman won silver and bronze medals. In their preparations for the tournament, they got some useful exercise tricks from part-time trainer Manish Jain from Udaipur.
While we don’t believe that sports always has to be a competition and actively prove and live the opposite every day at the Adda by making sports into an inclusive activity that unites people, we wanted to give our sportsmen the opportunity and exposure to measure themselves with others, get to know their strengths and weaknesses better, as well as to learn from others and get to meet more children who like themselves are passionate about skating.
Maker Space
Drone Experts Needed!! We have built a drone at Adda, but unfortunately, somehow it is not flying although motors and wings are rotating. While our Design and Makerspace members tried to repair it, they have not succeeded yet. We are looking for someone who can help to make it fly — if you want to give it a try and help us, please contact us! Apart from this, the alternative learners of the Design and Makerspace were busy making a rat catcher with an old bottle, taking inspiration from a YouTube video to build it. Sanjeev impressed everyone by building a this wireless remote car using mostly recycled waste materials. Others were also learning how to build and utilize sensor-based light which automatically switches on in the dark. Automatic light!! Our maker space students were learning and sensor-based light which automatically switches on in the dark.
DaryaDil Cafe!!
Daryadil Cafe Time!! This month we hosted another edition of our increasingly popular Daryadil Café, which is wholly run and operated by the Creativity Adda kids. This time, the programme featured some soulful sufi music performed by The Aura Band, many games and sports, a special photo shoot wall arranged by the Community Media Lab team, and yummy tasty special millet food prepared by our Slow Food junior chefs. Around 150 people attended the event, including parents, friends and students.
