by Suman Gupta
Mumbai, February 11th, 2019: The soul of a society rests on the shoulders of its artists. Adhering to the message, students of Whistling Woods International (WWI) School of Creative Arts contributed to two key initiatives working towards the beautification of Mumbai. Through their partnership with the Kala Ghoda Association and Misaal Mumbai, these students helped ignite a change in Mumbai’s soul.
Every year, the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival dazzles the residents of Mumbai with a stunning and diverse display of artistic talent from across the nation. The 2019 edition witnessed a display by students of Asia’s premier Film, Communication, and Creative Arts institute stand out as a highlight of the event. The animal horse has long been a partner to man in his journey through history, across cultures and nations. In an installation titled ‘Chariot of Wooden Horses’, the students from the School of Creative Arts, the Fashion department depicted this relationship. In the words of Nisha Chanda, HOD, Fashion department, “Long ago, a wooden horse helped in the conquest of Troy. In today’s day and age, we rely on ‘mechanical horses’ to run our world. These horses may one day end up making a new form of art, one that is made by tools of our own creation.”
On the other side of the city, students of the Visual Communication Design department were working hard to bring colors into the lives of Mumbai’s most deprived residents. Misaal Mumbai is an initiative conceived by artist and social worker Rouble Nagi. Beginning as the first slum painting initiative in India with ‘Paint Dharavi’ in 2016, the programme has quickly grown with more than 43,000 houses painted in various slums and villages. The students of the Visual Communication Design department volunteered for a drive held at Reti Bunder, Mumbra. Over the course of this event, they connected with the community and interacted closely with its residents, creating engaging visuals that uplifted the surroundings and gave it a new life.
Rahul Puri, Head of Academics, WWI, commented on their efforts, “Exposure to beauty and culture is a basic human right. This is a message we have always preached at Whistling Woods International, and we are proud to see our students take it upon themselves and strive to bring a colorful change in the society.”
About Whistling Woods International : Whistling Woods International is India’s premier Film, Communication, and Creative Arts Institute. Founded by one of India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai, Whistling Woods International (WWI) is one of Asia’s largest Media Arts institutes.‘The Hollywood Reporter’ has rated Whistling Woods International as one of the Ten Best Film Schools in the world in 2014, 2013 & 2010. WWI offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years catering to all major verticals of the Media & Entertainment industry, namely Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Music, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound, Visual Effects, Media Management, Fashion Design, and Visual Communication Design. All the courses are accredited by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
