Here in the UK, arts funding has been cut dramatically in recent years, from schools and universities to national institutions and local government. The same is the case for India, where students in government schools receive less than 20 hours of arts education per year. Here, we recognise Slam Out Loud, an organisation looking to change that.
We know by now that arts-based education isn’t just about art. It’s about building confidence, empathy, resilience and other vital skills. Not only that, there is a significant relationship between participation in the arts and increases in student achievement, as well as improved attendance rates in school. It is often overlooked and undervalued in education systems to the detriment of millions of students. Well-aware of these issues, Slam Out Loud, run various programmes, from fellowship opportunities to free digital content, to ensure that children are not being left behind. Founded in 2017, Slam Out Loud (SOL) operates primarily in India, but they have also reached students around the world, from Indonesia to Peru. In this time they have impacted over 50,000 children directly, with a further 4.7 million children accessing their online resources and teachings.
Through poetry, storytelling, theatre and visual arts, SOL helps disadvantaged children to channel their emotions through creative expression. They currently do this through three main programmes: Voice for All, Arts for All and the Jijivisha Fellowship. The latter is a fellowship aimed at creative professionals (previous fellows include stand up comedians and journalists) who spend a year with underfunded private schools in India exploring arts in the classroom. Fellows deliver 60 hours of arts-based learning throughout the academic year, increasing the students’ exposure to the subject by 300%. It is a full-time paid role that helps to develop Socio-Emotional Learning within the students it reaches. Initially just running in Delhi and Pune, last year the fellowship extended to schools in Mumbai and Bangalore.
The fellowship ends with the students participating in showcases to demonstrate the positive benefits of their involvement in the programmes. This can take the form of theatre productions, open mics, art exhibitions and more. So far, over 100 artists have participated in the programme and students have consistently demonstrated improvement on the Creative Confidence rubric; a commonly used method to determine a student’s freedom and courage to participate in creative tasks. Children who have engaged with SOL’s programmes have gone on to perform to cumulative audiences of 65,000+ at various national and international platforms such as TEDx talks, HundrED and SpokenFest.
The Voice for All programme is free online content that is interactive and adaptable to the individuals/schools needs. Providing arts resources, from theatre to poetry, students and educators are able to access short online videos on YouTube that enable them to include arts in their curriculum in an easy and accessible way. Subjects could include everything from gender equity to climate change, meaning that children are being exposed to social justice issues at the same time as finding a voice through creative expression.
SOL’s Arts for All programme was developed during the pandemic in order to provide arts-based educational resources to students away from the classroom. Available as audio, video and text online resources, as well as printed materials for those without access to the internet, Arts for All helped to increase resilience and emotional capacity in children during the various lockdowns. Available in various Indian languages, as well as over easily accessible channels, such as WhatsApp and local radio, these resources were vital in keeping children entertained and in education throughout 2020 and beyond. Arts for All continues to run, reaching 4.7 million children across 23 Indian States and 19 countries. Partnerships are crucial for the distribution of these resources, so SOL works with governments and education institutions to spread the word. As previously mentioned, SOL is not just a success in India. Helsinki-based Karviaistie School is a special school for 70 students ranging from grades 1-9. They trialled a 12-week curriculum designed by Slam Out which featured weekly 45 minute lessons.
With just 1 art teacher to every 1,400 students in India, things will take time to change. But Slam Out Loud certainly has big plans! Aiming to reach 20 million children by 2025, they aim to give every child in India the opportunity to find and use their voice. We wish them the best of luck with this important mission!
You can find out more about Slam Out Loud and join their movement on their website and Instagram page.
Images courtesy of Slam Out Loud.
