One cannot overstate the importance of holistic education in a child’s life. Sadly, when it comes to education, training in the arts is often overlooked. This is especially true in the case of disadvantaged communities, where lack of access to good quality art educators and resources further exacerbates the problem.
Fortunately, for the last ten years, Artreach India, one of India’s foremost arts education non-profits has been leading the charge in rectifying this situation. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Artreach, a new exhibition titled ‘Taramandal – Ten years of artists working with Artreach’ is being organised at Ojas Art Gallery.
The group exhibition will present the work of 60 international artists who have worked with the organization and been part of its numerous programmes, by working with young people and women from marginalised communities across India. It has been curated by Deeksha Nath and will showcase drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures made by both emerging and established artists. The works on display are by renowned artists like Seema Kohli, Gulammohammad Sheikh, Susanta Mandal, Atul Bhalla, Gauri Gill, Vicky Roy and Kristine Michael. There are also artworks created by children, young people and women who have participated in Artreach’s programmes.
On August 6, when the exhibition opens, there will be live performances and a curated walkthrough for the attendees. “We are so excited to bring together the work of all these amazing artists who have been part of Artreach’s journey. Many have led teaching programmes; some have led community arts projects; others have been deeply valued mentors and advisors. Artreach wouldn’t exist without this extraordinary community of creative people who bring their unique voices, talents and passion to their work with us. It’s also special to have Deeksha Nath curating because as well as being a brilliant curator, she was Artreach’s founding director,” says Charty Dugdale, founder of Artreach.
Explaining the mandate of Artreach, she adds, “Our aim is to empower participants through creativity and offer enriching learning experiences in the visual arts. The teaching of artistic skills to talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, helps them build careers in the field. For this, we partner with many amazing organisations and talented and passionate artists across the country, all of whom share our belief in the power of art to change lives.” Originally envisioned after the success of an intensive mural painting project in 2010 with children who live on the New Delhi railway platform, the Artreach Trust has come a long way since being founded in 2015.
The team’s mission is to transform the lives of children, youth and women from marginalised communities in India through art. Over the years, more artists and NGO spaces have joined their efforts, even as funds have been successfully raised by volunteers to run projects. Artreach has worked across India with many communities including young people living in care homes, children from low income and slum communities, children from crime affected families, child refugees, Dalit and Muslim girls, children of brick kiln labourers, as well as communities of homeless and tribal women.
Speaking on the importance of art education, Charty says, “Engaging in acts of imagination and self-expression changes outlooks, imparts confidence and selfworth and enhances emotional, cognitive and social well-being. The arts have a unique power to engage students, commit them to learning, and invoke and develop deep cognitive processes that are essential to thinking and learning in general. Art practice fosters experimentation, risk and resilience. It encourages curiosity and play and teaches self-discipline and persistence.
Participation in the arts cultivates the agency and the voice required to join in a democratic society where everyone has the right to be heard and to contribute to its culture.” “We believe that access to art and creative education and expression is important for everyone in society. But certain groups, marginalised because of poverty, religion, gender and caste, have limited or no access to it at all. This is where we focus our work, where there is greatest need and where we can make the greatest difference to individual lives,” adds Arti Malik, Director of Artreach.
The team certainly walks the talk, as evident through the results of a qualitative study conducted with the participants of their Teaching Fellowship from TARA Homes. 88 percent of participants said that their workshops increased their imaginative thinking; 83 percent said they learnt new skills and were inspired by new ideas; 83 percent said the workshops gave them more motivation; 77 percent reported increased confidence and focus; and 72 percent reported better communication skills. For this exhibition, Artreach has partnered with Ojas Art. Named for the Sanskrit word signifying the creative energy of the universe – Ojas – this gallery adopts an innovative approach to Indian art. They pride themselves on being a socially responsible organization with the aim of furthering the development and implementation of creative projects which help with the rehabilitation of underprivileged sections of society.
Director Anubhav Nath says, “It is heartening to see mainstream artists coming together with younger artists from marginalised backgrounds. The equity and equality that are provided is unparalleled. As long time and long term supporters of Artreach, we hope to make this a recurring annual event.” “Artreach has been taking art education beyond traditional classrooms and into communities where access to creative learning is limited or non-existent.
Our approach connects experienced artists with young people and women as educators and learners together, creating sustained art education programmes that don’t just teach skills – they build bridges. Taramandal highlights the importance of working with a strong community of artist educators, who make the magic happen.
When we ensure that art education is accessible to all, we are not just nurturing creativity – we are nurturing hope, opportunity and the belief that every person deserves a space to express their unique voice,” adds Malik. She summarises, “For a decade, Artreach India has been a catalyst for change, witnessing the profound impact of art in the lives of the communities they work with. Artreach invites art lovers, philanthropists and change-makers to visit the exhibition and join us in expanding access to the arts, fostering social inclusion and building a legacy of artistic opportunity and transformation.” ‘Taramandal: Ten years of artists working with Artreach” will be held at Ojas Art, 1AQ, Near Qutub Minar, Mehrauli, Delhi, from August 6-10, 2025.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www. nooranandchawla.com.
