Khula Aasman began its journey in 2009 at TISS as a field action project.
KA believed that the art has the power to cross over differences of caste, class, gender, language, region and age. KA also believed in doing with the hands-on work while remaining conscious towards the needs of the fragile environment, hence a lot of craft activities were designed in the realm recycle, reuse.
The purpose was to connect arts and crafts with the higher education. Typically the educational institutes celebrate one week of annual celebration with all sorts of cultural programmes including various competitions like mehendi, rangoli , face painting, sculpture painting and so on. It’s overexcitement of consuming art in its various manifestations. Just the opposite of what an art experience needs to be.
The idea behind Khula Aasman was to connect with art on a day today basis for reconnecting with your own culture and the self. Revisit the various art forms of various states in India and feel proud of our rich heritage. Learn to appreciate the crafts-people by doing things with your own hands.
Experience the slowness, experience the need to be in non performance mode rather than continuously in a world of competition, presentation and confirmation of once own value through the lens of how others perceive you.
In 2013 KA moved out of the TISS campus and was registered as an independent NGO with its own wings and freedom to explore its philosophy with various marginalised groups. KA very consciously has chosen to work with the communities which are at the periphery of the society. Most of our participants have got an opportunity to explore themselves through creative exploration for the first time in their life. Women tell us that they did not know what was hidden within them – the discoveries they made through while playing with the colors and shapes. Participants take joy in discovering themselves through colors, dance movement and stories. The space KA creates is safe, non-judgemental and brave enough for the participants to speak their mind freely. A definite step towards building confidence and lessening the burden from the heart.
KA has been working with the women and girls who have been victims of trafficking, with the children in-conflict with law, with prisoners and with the children in the open community.
Art as usually perceived is not a luxury, if explored in the right context with right intention it can free the person from the shackles of the self imposed limitations. It can enhance the strength of the person to deal with the world outside.
Besides the regular commitment at the above places KA also caters to the elderly population, educational institutions and corporate world for doing rejuvenation, de-stressing workshops.