Creating equity through art

CHENNAI: Schools of Equality, a Chennai-based non-profit, works towards promoting equality and effecting change in society through activity-based programmes that engage students, artists, teachers, parents, and social justice workers.

In collaboration with Chennai Photo Biennale, the organisation is hosting an interesting 10-day summer camp for children. The director of Schools of Equality, Ranjani Ramanathan, says, “Our vision is to create an inclusive and equitable community, and we believe that working with young students is crucial as a lot of conditioning and socialisation happens at an early stage.”

While Schools of Equality runs year-long programmes with certain schools in the city, they also host camps for children from different backgrounds. The upcoming summer camp in May aims to bring together children aged 11-13 years from diverse backgrounds to learn about each other’s lives, collaborate, and create inclusive narratives that acknowledge power and privilege, as well as the lack thereof.

“The camp will feature curated activities and experiences designed to help the children understand varying perspectives and nuances that create inequitable playing fields. We hope that this space will provide an opportunity for children to become allies in creating inclusive and equitable communities. To ensure the camp is accessible to all, we are raising funds to support it,” she adds.

The 10-day camp, to be held at The Learning Community at Quest, Besant Nagar, will enable children to exchange ideas and personal stories, using photography, text, and visual art. The students will come together in a collaborative space to engage in discussion and take action around themselves.