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ABOUT US
JK Arts Foundation is an ed-tech, not-for-profit NGO promising to democratize “Arts in Education” with a goal of improving learning and developmental outcomes by nurturing creative thinking, confidence and fostering values, that makes us human, through arts such as empathy and kindness among all children and particularly children from remote villages and disadvantaged backgrounds.
OUR VISION
We aspire to leverage technology to democratize ‘Arts in Education’ through the facilitation of visual, performance arts and coalesce museum experience-based learning into traditional education systems.
OUR MISSION
We aim to harness the transformational power of the arts in children to build creative thinking, confidence and ‘unleash the inner Artist’ in children from disadvantaged communities and remote villages through the use of disruptive technologies.
JKAF is a platform for children to discover their artistic expressions.
Determined to reach 5 million children by 2025.
WHAT WE DO
We use technology as a catalyst to impart artistic experiences and help children from remote villages and disadvantaged communities to develop their creativity and confidence through
JKAF Digital Art School’s programs
‘Unleash your inner Artist’ and
‘Museum for All’.
GEETA VAISHNAVI
FOUNDER & CEO
JK ARTS FOUNDATION
MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
When we take into account the earliest markings on cave walls by primitive man, the beating of drums accompanied by dancing or even the emergence of written language, it becomes clear that people have loved the prospect of expressing themselves through art since the earliest days of our species. It can even be said it is one of the unique qualities that make us human.
We assume that to be an artist, we must be virtuoso or have created a masterpiece, but this is simply not true. The truth is that everybody has the capacity to express himself/herself through art, and most importantly we would all benefit from doing so. Research has shown that engaging in just 45 minutes of art-making activity significantly reduced the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) across 75% of participants. It turns out, creating art is akin to meditation. It forces the mind to slow down, to focus on the details, and it helps to block out the mind’s distractions, resulting in people feeling calmer and less stressed.
Remember being a kid, and the sense of pride you would feel when your mother would hang your artwork on the wall for everyone to see? It turns out that feeling doesn’t go away as an adult. Seeing a completed work of art that you have created stimulates the release of dopamine—the feel-good hormone—into our bodies, which lowers feelings of depression and increases feelings of confidence. In other words, creating art makes you feel better about yourself. Even if it’s just a stick figure.
Creating art can help us become better problem solvers. There are many reasons for this. The practise of creating art is liberating: no boundaries or limits. It forces you to use your imagination, to think through how you are going to convey your message through artwork. And the habit of thinking creatively helps you to learn new, resourceful ways of solving problems in your life.
Moreover, the process of turning our problems into narratives can help us to work through them. By organizing our problems into the framework of a narrative—be it through writing or visual art— helps to bring a sense of order to the chaos that is represented in the problem. This, in turn, gives individuals a sense of predictability and control over their lives.
Not only does art-making help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that are commonly experienced by those suffering from chronic illness, but research also shows that it can be quite beneficial for children. This is because making art can improve cognitive functions by strengthening or even creating new neural pathways in the brain, helping the brain to adapt and stay healthier. In fact, the earlier we can start using our creative brain regularly, and the longer we continue to do so, can help the brain stay fit and healthy as we age.
In spite of the significant advantages mentioned above, art education has not received the attention it deserves. JKAF wants to change that, as we are determined to take Art Education to the remotest villages of the country with the aid of technology.
We have only started our journey, very recently, from quaint little villages of Kashmir, however, we aspire to be nothing less than a global movement and reach every school and every child --through campaigns and technology-- with this important intervention of democratizing “Arts in Education”.