By the kids, for the kids and of the kids

HYDERABAD: Creativity beyond the classroom and sans conditioning is a rare trait among children who are subjected to tuition, camps and lessons in music and sports to hone their ‘talent’.Little did Purva Dhanashree think that a casual Sunday morning class at her home in Indira Nagar would culminate in the colorful magazine ‘Expressions’ through the contributions of these children.The magazine which has illustrations and writings by the children aged between six and 14 recently came up with its third edition which centres around nature.“It was a Sunday like any other when I asked the children in and around my apartment to come over to my apartment.As I love spending time with kids, it was an opportunity for me to know them better and I started giving them exercises in creative writing, inspired by the movie Letters to God.That was a year ago and this is now,” says Purva who is a city-based Bharatnatyam and Vilasini Natyam dancer as well as a voice-over artist.The illustrations and writings which she collected from her students spurred Purva to compile it as a magazine.Expressions has illustrations and articles written by the 13 kids who continue to throng Purva’s home on Sundays as well as guest posts by two or three adults.“I was amazed by the creativity these children display.I gave them themes for writing or drawing and they come up with such different ideas which can amaze anyone.This aspect of their personality does not get tapped in a conventional school setup where ‘imagination’ is not encouraged and children are scared to express themselves for fear of being judged,” says Purva who confesses to getting by with a little help from her friends in bringing out the edition.She has taken the liberty of not editing the copies or illustrations.“I have let go of grammar and the vocabulary used by the children to retain its essence.It is a magazine both adults and children can read.” “The fact that it is not a periodical might be a deterrent for commercial publications.The present edition was designed by Ram Niwas in Delhi as a friendly gesture and was printed by a friend.The venture runs on the help extended by like-minded people,” shares Purva.About 500 copies of the present edition were printed and the distribution is word-of-mouth.“Parents who know about the magazine have bought copies.I have also taken it to a few schools who have shown interest in using it as a learning tool,” says Purva who has had to face her fair share of criticism.“Some of the people whose suggestions I have sought asked me, ‘how can a child in Hyderabad write about snowman.’ We are talking about letting children express themselves through art and writing.It is not a creative writing workshop, just a space for kids to unwind and give creativity free reins,” says Purva.Purva Dhanashree can be reached at [email protected]