/PRNewswire/ -- The Indian Art and Design Educators Association (IADEA) held its 5th annual conference, hosted by the Kochi Muziris Biennale and Art By Children Program in Fort Kochi. Over 50 art educators from various schools attended, and the conference featured workshops, panel discussions, and presentations by Biennale artists, including Asim Waqif, Devi Seetharam, M.Thamshangpha, and Kriti Sood.

The conference aimed to encourage creativity and promote art in education by taking it out of the white cube environment and making it more accessible, playful and non-hierarchical – giving children and adults agency and space to explore.  

Blaise Joseph, Program Manager of Art by Children, conducted an energy-filled, interactive art workshop following the conference theme. Priyam Mehta from Piramal Foundation said, "The flow of the session was unusual with a mix of language, body movement and play which warmed everyone up. We had an engaging experience of open-ended art-making immersed in the outdoor space."

Sandhya Gopinath, an art educator from the American International School Chennai and curator of the IADEA conference, encouraged the teachers to work through a process and discuss to reflect on their most memorable teaching moments and arrive at their own mission statements as art educators. Sarika Caroline from Arshaa Vidya Mandir, Chennai, said, "Sandhya's workshop was eye-opening, and I'm looking forward to taking her mission statement back to the classroom and working actively on implementing it."

The event concluded with a video note by the internationally acclaimed Mumbai-based artist Shilpa Gupta, who shared her views on the conference theme, 'What is Art?,' and introduced the 'Artivities' workbook she designed to encourage students to engage actively with her works.

Sara Vetteth, the Founder of IADEA,  thanked  the art teachers and other participants for taking the time and effort to embody  the idea that to be a good teacher,  one must continue  one's learning journey. She talked about the organisation's ongoing workshops,  and learning opportunities found online at  www.arteducatorsindia.org.  

About Indian Art and Design Educators Association

The Indian Art and Design Educators Association (IADEA) aims to provide support, direction and advocacy for quality Visual Arts education. An initiative that is the first of its kind in India, IADEA empowers art educators to become leaders, encouraging innovation, research and reform. In the spirit of a true professional association, the Executive Committee comprises eight art educators from five cities nationwide.

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