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January to December 2010

Teacher Training Workshop held at Jabalpur

A two day teacher training workshop on Heritage Awareness was held at Jabalpur on 21-22 December 2010. 77 teachers from around 70 schools attended the workshop. The workshop targeted middle school teachers teaching social sciences mainly but also included teachers of different disciplines giving the workshop a multidisciplinary approach and integrating heritage awareness with a number of disciplines. The workshop commenced with a welcome note by Dr. R.K. Sharma, Convenor, INTACH Jabalpur Chapter. In his introductory speech he encouraged teachers to open heritage clubs in schools and motivate students to participate in national and well and regional level competitions. After the introduction given by Dr. Sharma a lamp lighting ceremony was organized at the venue in which Ms. Purnima Datt, HECS, INTACH, along with the members of INTACH Jabalpur Chapter lighted the lamp. As part of the workshop a heritage walk to Rani Durgawati’s Samadhi and the Museum was organized for the teachers on Day 2. The visit was an enriching experience for the teachers as it sensitized them towards heritage education and conservation.

Painting Competition organized by INTACH Shantiniketan Chapter

On the auspicious occasion of Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th Birth Anniversary a drawing competition was organized by the INTACH Shantiniketan Chapter in collaboration with the Patha Bhabhana on 16th November 2010. The venue selected for the competition was Upananda Kutir. Around 60 students participated in the competition. The theme selected for the competition was painting a heritage site. Children were given refreshments after the children handed over their paintings to the volunteers. Their effort was appreciated by one and all.

World Heritage Week Celebrations-19th November 2010

Delhi: A Living Heritage- Exhibition And Competitive Forum
The Delhi Chapter of INTACH in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts organized an ongoing exhibition on Delhi: A Living Heritage. To celebrate World Heritage Week (19th-25th November 2010), HECS organized an exhibition tour and a competitive forum for school students at the venue. Nineteen prestigious schools of Delhi participated in the programme including Fr. Agnel School; DPS Mathura Road; Cambridge School, Noida; Bluebells International School; The Pinnacle School; The Banyan Tree School; Tagore International School; Sardar Patel Vidyalaya; Delhi Police Public School; Delhi Public School, Gurgaon; Summer Fields School; The Indian School; Manav Sthali School; Army Public School, Shankar Vihar; Navyug School, Peshwa Road; Salwan Public School, Mayur Vihar; Navyug School, Lodi Road; St. Columba’s; and R.P.V.V, Vasant Kunj. The programme was well attended by over 180 students who participated enthusiastically in the exhibition, forum, as well as an impromptu quiz round. Eminent judges from INTACH were present at the forum—Dr. A.G.K. Menon, Ms. Swapna Liddle, and Ms. Ritu Singh. Four Best Speaker Prizes were awarded along with two Special Prizes.

Children’s Day Festivities Organized By Intach Madurai

Sunday November 14, was a great day for a group of students, who went visiting the nature in it's undisturbed environment in Vadakarai near Sholavandan, as part of the Children's Day Festival. Dr. Dheep of Top Kids and Dr. Badhri Narayanan facilitated the programme for INTACH Madurai Chapter. Few of te INTACH members and families also accompanied the group.
It was suggested and desired that similar programmes should be organized periodically, in view of creating more awareness within the student community (next generation) on nature and it's preservation.

Art History Workshop Organized By Intach Tamil Nadu

INTACH Tamil Nadu Chapter organized a Art History Workshop on 9th September 2010. The workshop was a success with 47 participants from 8 schools and 2 colleges. Eminent art historians and experts spoke to the students about various facets of art history, sculptures, paintings, etc. The sketching sessions were received well and we had some outstanding sketches by students. It was a good exposure for the students as they came to know much more about the history of Indian art and architecture. They were also taught simple sketching techniques, particularly sketching monuments and sculptures.

Rural Skill Development Workshop, Khajuraho

The Rural Skill Development workshop was organized by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in collaboration with Janmadhyam—an NGO which works with local communities, children, and diverse groups and also develops inclusive programmes for the target audience. The workshop was held at Khajuraho—a district in Madhya Pradesh renowned for its magnificent temples and sculptures.

The workshop was an intensive training workshop as it spanned over a week from 4th to 10th October 2010 and aimed at imparting craft skills to school children, both boys and girls. The Saskiya Uchatar Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Khajuraho, was selected as the venue for the workshop. The school provided the perfect setting for the workshop because of its calm and serene environment as well as enthusiasm shown by the students of the school.

Teacher Training Workshop, Ahmedabad - 21st - 22nd October 2010

A two day teacher training workshop on Heritage Awareness was held at Ahmedabad on 21-22 October 2010. 32 teachers from 15 schools attended the workshop. Middle school teachers teaching social sciences mainly but also included teachers of different disciplines giving the workshop a multidisciplinary approach and integrating heritage awareness with a number of disciplines. The workshop commenced with a welcome note by Mr. Abhay Mangaldas, Chief Executive, House of MG and Chief Coordinator of the workshop. This was followed by a presentation by Mr. Debashish Nayak, Advisor, Heritage Programme, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. He gave an introduction about the heritage programme, the aim of which is to ‘Get the city back to the people’. Mr. Sameer Shukla, Co-convener INTACH, Ahmedabad, then spoke the importance of the forum in making many people turn their attention towards the heritage of Ahmedabad. This was followed by an introduction about heritage given by Ms. Datt. She talked about what makes India a unique country which includes mountains, rivers, deserts, people etc. One gets to see so much diversity which is very rare to see anywhere else in the world.

She spoke on the importance of heritage education and ignorance of heritage awareness among the youth today. Heritage Education comes when there is understanding, learning, caring etc. On the second day, a Heritage Walk to the Old City from Swaminarayan Temple to Jama Masjid was organized for teachers.

Chopin for Children - Delhi

INTACH in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in India and the India International Centre organized a programme in Delhi on 4th September 2010 to celebrate the bi-centenary year of Polish musician Frederic Francois Chopin. The venue for the event was the India International Centre Annexe, Lodi Road. The programme began with the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony of India and the bread and salt ceremony from Poland. This was followed by an introduction about the event and the importance of celebrating Chopin’s music. Twelve prestigious schools from Delhi participated in the event.

The programme included a host of competitions - quiz, song competition, painting, calligraphy, and face painting. Children participated in all the competitions with a lot of zest and interest. The competitions were followed by a soulful performance by two talented pianists from Poland who played some of Chopin’s famous works. This was followed by a prize distribution ceremony in which certificates were given to all the participating schools and the winners of various competitions were felicitated.

Chopin for Children - Goa

INTACH along with Embassy of Republic of Poland in India and Kala Academy- Goa, celebrated Frederic Chopin’s Bi-centenary year on 18th August 2010 with a programme “Chopin for Children” at Black Box, Kala Academy, Panjim, Goa. The programme consisted of a recital by 5 school students who are also students of music at Kala Academy and with Ms. Margarida Miranda, a well known teacher of Western Classical Music in Goa..The recital was followed by a short film on life of Chopin and a Quiz with participation of 6 teams.

Dr. P. Phaldessai, Secretary Kala Academy, welcomed the audience and presented bouquets of flowers. The programme was compared by Ms. Margarida Miranda who also conducted the Quiz. Prizes to the winners of the Quiz were gifted and presented by the Cultural Consular (representative) of the Embassy of Poland, India.

Cultural Consular of the Embassy of Poland, Dr. P. Phaldessai, Secretary Kala Academy, Dr. Fatima Gracias, Co-Convener, INTACH Goa State Chapter, teaching staff of Kala Academy, students and their parents attended the programme. Books on life of Chopin and CDs “Chopin for India” were distributed on this occasion. The programme ended with vote of thanks.

Filmit India Technical Workshop- 18th August 2010, Delhi

The Filmit India Technical Workshop was held on 18th August 2010 at INTACH. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Andy Huntington (Technical Expert) from the Helen Hamlyn Trust—the chief sponsor of the programme. He spoke to the students and teachers about the use of digital film-making software. His session also included a brief introduction about using the handy cam which the children will use for making films. The workshop was attended by 14 prestigious schools of Delhi including The Shri Ram School, The Banyan Tree School, Sanskriti School, The Pinnacle School, Springdales School Pusa Road, Summer Fields School, St. Mary’s School, St. Columba’s, Tagore International School, Navyug School Lodi Road, The Indian School, Springdales School Dhaula Kuan, VVDAV Vikas Puri, and RPVV. The workshop was a success as students and teachers interacted with the technical expert and tried to learn interesting things about film-making.

Chopin Programme for Schools, Pune

Poland is celebrating 2010 as the 200th birth anniversary of Chopin, the famous composer. INTACH along with the Polish Embassy organized a student interaction programme with musicians. A tour was scheduled across a few cities to familiarize students with the music of Chopin. The tour has covered a number of cities including Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, and Gangtok.

The programme started with a welcome note by INTACH Pune Coordinator Supriya Goturkar, followed by introduction of INTACH & Poona Music Society. The nature of the programme was piano recital, a short film screening, interaction with the Embassy and musicians, a quiz for students and distribution of resource material to students. A few schools in each city got the privilege to be a part of the programme. The Pune event was jointly organized by INTACH Pune Chapter and Poona Music Society. Five prestigious schools participated in the event including Delhi Public School, Dr. Shamrao Kalmadi High School Aundh branch, Dr. Shamrao Kalmadi High School Ganeshnagar, Sardar Dastur School, and Vidya Valley School. The event was covered by the media and reports were published in DNA and Pune Mirror.

Filmit Content Workshop-30th July 2010, Delhi

The Filmit Content Workshop was held on 30th July 2010 at INTACH. The workshop aimed at sensitizing young students about the importance of making films on Indian culture and heritage. The welcome address was given by Dr. Shobita Punja, Chief Programme Director, HECS, who spoke about the importance of capturing the wonders of India through the lens. This was followed by a presentation by Mrs. Purnima Datt, Director (Projects), HECS. She spoke about the importance of conserving Indian heritage and culture through a very colourful and informative presentation. Then Mr. Faisal Alkazi, eminent theatre personality and film expert, spoke to the children about the importance of making short films. He elaborated upon various techniques of film-making. In the post-tea session he interacted with the students and teachers and asked them interesting questions. The workshop was a success as 18 prestigious schools of Delhi including DPS Mathura Road, Modern School Barakhamba, Springdales, St. Columba’s, Sanskriti School, Bluebells International, Navyug School Lodi Road, Summerfields School, The Shri Ram School, The Pinnacle School, The Indian School, St. Mary’s, Banyan Tree School, R.P.V.V., Tagore International Vasant Vihar, V.V.D.A.V participated in the event.

Launch of Intach-Fox History Channel - My City My History Season 2
and Delhi Heritage Walk-28th July 2010

The Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) division in collaboration with Fox History and Entertainment Channel organized the launch programme for the My City My History competition for the year 2010. The Chief Guest was Dr. Kiran Bedi— India’s first woman IPS office and Magsaysay Award Wining officer. The programme began with Mr. Keertan Adyanthaya, Managing Director, FOX International Channels and National Geographic Channel Network India, giving a brief introduction about the programme. This was followed by a brief introduction about INTACH’s collaboration with Fox History Channel by Dr. Shobita PUNJA, Chief Programme Director, HECS, INTACH. She went on to elaborate upon the contribution made by INTACH in making the programme a success last year in its introductory phase. The audience – comprising of teachers and students – were then shown the clippings of prize winning entries from last year’s programme. Dr. Kiran Bedi then spoke about the history of the Delhi Police in brief and shared some of her experiences of being a police officer. She also encouraged young students – present in the audience – to join the police forces and contribute effectively to the development of safety and security of the country. This was followed by a brief introduction about Lodi Gardens which was given by Swapna Liddle, Co-convener, Delhi Chapter, INTACH. The programme concluded with a photo-session and distribution of refreshments to the children. Students from 6 Delhi schools were then taken to Lodi Gardens for a heritage walk. This marked the beginning of the My City My History programme for the year 2010.

Kanpur Teacher Training Workshop

The Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) division of INTACH in collaboration with the Kanpur Chapter organized a two-day Teacher Training Workshop at Kanpur from 22nd —23rd July 2010. The workshop was held at Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre, Kanpur, where 29 teachers from 17 schools attended the workshop. The workshop was aimed at training middle school teachers teaching social sciences but also teachers of different disciplines which gave the workshop a multidisciplinary approach and integrated heritage awareness with a number of other disciplines. The workshop commenced with a welcome note by Ms Shobhna Kaushik, Kanpur Chapter.

Mrs. R. Midha, Principal, Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre, gave the welcome address. Dr. S.P. Singh, member of INTACH, then spoke about the local heritage of Kanpur. He emphasized on learning through observation. This was followed by a talk delivered by Prof. H.C. Chaudhari, Vice Chairman, Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre. He spoke about “valuing our history and heritage.” An introduction to Heritage was given by Ms. Purnima Datt. She talked about what makes India a unique country which includes mountains, rivers, deserts, people etc. She spoke on the importance of heritage education and ignorance of heritage awareness among the youth today. Field visit to Bithoor – a site famous for its ancient temples – was made to sensitize teachers towards heritage education and conservation stressing on the importance of hands on activities and field visits.

Talk on ‘Building of New Delhi’ & Prize Distribution Ceremony

The Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS) division organized a talk on 19th July 2010 at INTACH.The theme of the talk was ‘Building of New Delhi’. The talk was delivered by Prof. A.G.K. Menon, Convenor, Delhi Chapter, INTACH. He gave valuable insights into the architecture of New Delhi and spoke to the audience about how the new city was built. This was followed by an interactive session in which teachers and students asked questions to Prof. Menon. After the interaction Dr. Shobita Punja, Chief Programme Director, HECS, INTACH, spoke to the audience about the importance of heritage and the need to conserve it. This was followed by a film screening where the INTACH film was shown to the audience. Then an informal interaction with teachers who had earlier attended the ‘Philosophy for Children’ workshop saw all the teachers sharing their views about the utility of the workshop and how it helped them in introducing children to the concept of philosophy. This was followed by the Prize Distribution Ceremony for the winners of the Poster Making Competition which was organized to commemorate the World Heritage Day in April. Prizes and certificates were given away to the winners by the Chairman and Member Secretary of INTACH. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Punja.

Puducherry Teacher Training Workshop

A two day teacher training workshop on Heritage Awareness was held at Puducherry on 5-6 June 2010. 77 teachers from 22 schools attended the workshop.

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, Dr. Mamota Das gave an inspiring talk to the teachers and the students stressing how environment is an integral part of us. Mr. P.M Bhatt, Chief Conservator of Forests gave the key note address to the gathering.

Dr. P. Raja talked about the history of Puducherry and of its local heritage and emphasized on the importance of heritage conservation which was followed by a presentation on sacred groves by Dr. Krishnan. Dr Prakash Patel shared his immense experience and talked about natural heritage of Puducherry. He also discussed how students could be involved and generate environment awareness for the local community.

Teachers were taken around the museum of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalya followed by a rally organized by school children of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya to generate awareness for the local people.

The field visit to Swadeshi Urban Forest and Mill Area was made to sensitize teachers towards heritage education and conservation stressing on the importance of hands on activities and field visits.

Trivandrum Teacher Training Workshop

The programme commenced with a welcome address by Mr Shaji Krishnan, Co-Convenor Trivandrum Chapter. The workshop was inaugurated by Mr. E. K. Prakash, Director, Department of Treasuries, Government of Kerala. The two day teacher training workshop, on 4-5 May 2010 on Heritage Awareness was held at St.Roch’s School, Trivandrum 41 teachers from 24 schools attended the workshop.

Prof Eugene N. Pandala Co-Convenor, Kerala State brought out the key features of local heritage of Kerala. Prof N Ramaswamy spoke about the palaces of Trivandrum and the restoration of some of the palaces including Padmanabhaswamy temple and complex. Field visit was to Kuthiramallika Palace was made under the able guidance of Prof Ramaswamy. The workshop concluded with the valedictory function chaired by the Maharaja of Travancore.

WORLD HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATIONS PONDICHERRY CHAPTER

The World Heritage Day was celebrated with ardour at Tharangampadi, an erstwhile danish settlement around 150 miles south of Pondicherry. Asaithambi Guruswamy, INTACH's senior project Architect conceived and organised the whole program.Asaithambi is also doing wonderful work with the local schools of Tharangampadi in creating awareness and sensitivity amongst the teachers and students of the area.


World Heritage Day Celebrations - Tranquebar		Exhibition on heritage developments - Tranquebar

Terracotta community crafts workshop - Tranquebar		Terracotta community crafts workshop - Tranquebar

VOLTE FACE-SOUZA’S ICONOCLASTIC VISION-ART EXHIBITION WORKSHOP FOR HERITAGE CLUBS IN DELHI

INTACH-HECS organized a workshop on 12 April 2010 at the Lalit Kala Akademi for celebrating the genius of renowned painter, Late Francis Newton Souza. The day had a special significance as it was the artist’s birth anniversary. Students from four Delhi schools participated in the workshop. They were shown a biographical short film on the life of F.N. Souza. Dr Shobita Punja, Director, HECS, gave a brief introduction about the artist and went on to elaborate on some of his masterpieces. Students were asked to observe three of his famous landscapes and share their views. They participated enthusiastically in the group discussion and came up with innovative suggestions. Dr Punja then took the students around the gallery where the artists’ paintings were displayed. She also introduced them to the famous ‘heads’ of Souza. An interactive session with the students followed the brief introduction. Enthusiastic students interpreted two heads painted by the artist. Imaginative and interesting ideas brought forth by the students were among the main highlights of the day. The interactive session was followed by a drawing exercise for the students. It was extremely encouraging to see young minds participate so enthusiastically in the activity. Their sketches and drawings were pinned up on the board with a message above for F.N. Souza-Happy Birthday to Souza.

POSTER COMPETITION FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN DELHI TO CELEBRATE WORLD HERITAGE DAY

INTACH-HECS organized a Poster Making Competition for school children from classes 6–9 on 15th April 2010 for celebrating World Heritage Day (18th April 2010). The venue for the competition was the INTACH office. The theme of the competition was ‘Save our Heritage’ and the sub-themes included ‘Save our Natural Heritage’, ‘Save our Built Heritage’, and ‘Save our Living Heritage’.

The event was a grand success in terms of participation. Thirty five renowned public and government schools from the city participated. Some prominent public schools which participated were Modern School (Barakhamba and Vasant Vihar), Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi Public School (Gurgaon), Sanskriti School, Springdales, St Columba’s, Gyan Bharati, Vasant Valley, and so on. The event was well represented by government schools as well which

included Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (Vasant Kunj), Navyug School (Lodi Road), and Navyug School (Peshwa Road). Each school was represented by three students, accompanied by a teacher. Around 100 students participated in the competition with great fervour and enthusiasm. The students were shown a film on INTACH and its activities after which the competition began. Enthusiastic students from different schools put their imaginative ideas on paper. Some of the posters were unique in terms of ideas; some were good examples of artistry. On commencement of the event, refreshments and certificates were given out to all the participants. The event was a success as cheerful students were happy to exhibit their talent to ‘Save our Heritage’.

LODI GARDENS

INTACH-HECS is conducting a series of heritage walks in collaboration with the Delhi Chapter of INTACH. The walk series has been scheduled for the month of April. The series was flagged off on 6th April 2010 with a walk at the Lodi Gardens for students of Bluebells International School and Little Ones Public School. There were around 45 students from Bluebells while Little Ones came in with 12 students. The second walk was attended by Saint Columba’s School and Navyug School, Lodi Road. Both the walks began with a brief introduction about the history of the Lodi Gardens. The children were then taken to the first monument in the gardens—the Tomb of Mohammad Shah, the third ruler of the Sayyid Dynasty. The students were introduced to the key architectural features of this monument. Then they were taken to the second structure—the Bara Gumbad. An introduction to the building was given to them—year in which it was built, materials used, pattern of construction, etc. Two structures attached to the Bara Gumbad – the Mosque and the Mehman Khana – were also shown to the children. Then they proceeded to the Sheesh Gumbad (opposite the Bara Gumbad). Here, they were show the remnants of the blue tiles which were used to decorate the tomb. Interesting facts about the tomb were also told to them. Then they were taken to Sikandar Lodi’s tomb which is built within a fort. Students were made aware of the similarities between this tomb and the tomb of Mohammad Shah—the octagonal structure, the arched courtyard, etc. Finally, the students were taken to the Athpula—the last structure in the garden built during the 16th Century. Once the walk was over, students were made to sit in front of the Sheesh Gumbad for some rest. They were handed out a worksheet on the Lodi Gardens and were asked to complete some portions of the worksheet on the spot.

MEHRAULI ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

The Pinnacle School (35 students) and the Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya (30 students). With a brief introduction of the history, the students were introduced to the archaeological park and the fact that it is the only area in the historic city of Delhi that is dotted with remains from every era of Delhi’s history right from the early Hindu settlements to the more recent British Times.

Introducing the 13th century tomb of Sultan Balban, the students walked the settlement area and then were taken to the Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb, built in 1528. Climbing the hill students rested under the Canopy erected by Sir Thomas Metcalfe. Walking over Metcalf’s Bridge, students saw the Dove Cote and the Boat House.

Climbing the staircase students saw the Dilkusha/ Quli Khan’s Tomb which was built in the early 17th century was originally decorated with tilework. From Dilkusha we walked towards the Rajon ki Baoli, which is a beautiful step well.

After the walk the worksheets were distributed to the students to recapitulate what they have seen and understood.

Kakinada Teacher Training Workshop

A two day teacher training workshop on Heritage Awareness was held at Kakinada on 26-27 February 2010 at Ashram Public School, Kakinada. 39 teachers from 26 schools comprising of 3-4 rural schools attended the workshop.

Ms. Shesha Kumari, Convenor INTACH Kakinada Chapter gave an overview of the various projects undertaken by the Kakinada Chapter and shared her valuable experience with the various school activities undertaken over the years. Dr Chiranjivi Garu talked about the local heritage of Kakinada.

The two days workshop concluded with the valedictory function wherein teachers shared the two day workshop experience beautifully and added songs, chanted shlokas and also prepared the ugadi chutney to mark the auspicious beginning of the New Year and the participation certificates were distributed to them. The calendar of events for the year was discussed by Ms. Sesha Kumari and Ms. Purnima Datt.

The calendar of events for the year was discussed by Ms. Shesha Kumari and Ms. Purnima Datt and teachers were asked to participate and encourage children to give in entries for the yearly activities and the young INTACH newsletters.

INTACH and FOX History and Entertainment Channel-National Competition

INTACH in collaboration with FOX History & Entertainment Channel launched on 17 November 2009, an innovative school engagement programme, ‘My City My History’ for school children. This programme encourages school children to write about lesser-known historical treasures in their respective cities and send it for the national competition. With more than 4000 entries from all over the country, the initial screening of the entries was done from 11th January-15th January. The final 100 regional winners were selected by the jury including Mr. Feizal Alkazi, Dr Shobita Punja, Chief Programme Director, HECS, INTACH, Ms. Sudha Sadanand, Vice-President Programming, FOX History and Entertainment Channel.

The regional felicitation ceremony was held in 18 INTACH chapters in February and March for their regional winners including Ajmer, Aurangabad, Bhubaneshwar, Chandrapur, Chennai, Delhi, Gwalior, Goa, Hazaribagh, Hyderabad, Jabalpur, Jodhpur, Kakinada, Kolkata, Lucknow, Puducherry, Rohilkhand, and Vishakaptnam

The national felicitation ceremony was held in Delhi on 10th February 2010 at the Lodi Gardens. The felicitation was combined with heritage walk on the little known aspects of Lodi Gardens. The Five National Winners were announced and the awards given by eminent artist Ms Anjoli Ela Menon and Mr S K Misra, Chairman INTACH.

CONGRATULATIONS!

The winners are

Aneeqa Ahmed of Loreto Day School, Kolkata (Raj Bhawan)

Hitesh Shetty of Thakur Vidya Mandir High School, Mumbai (Out of the Ashes - Taj Mahal Hotel)

Gaurav Sharma of Springdales Kathua Jammu and Kashmir (Leh Palace)

Rishita Ray of DPS RK Puram ( History of Delhi Police)

Karishma Shiraj Mulani of National Hill View Public School Bangalore (Namma Bengalooru with a handful of boiled beans).

Their essays would be filmed by FOX History & Entertainment and the children will a get opportunity to represent their city and its history on national channel..

FilmIt Festivals – Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai

FilmIt Delhi Festival was held on 1st February 2010 at the India Islamic Centre Auditorium. The Chief Guest was Ms. Sharmila Tagore, a well known film actor and the guest of Honour was Mr Vinod Nagpal, an eminent actor and theater artist. Films made by the students on the themes including favourite foods, crafts, my favourite lesson, story of my city etc. The students showed remarkable expertise in making these films and their script, screen play, music original score and acting won them accolades from distinguished guests. The festival was attended by 200 students and by 14 teachers from different schools in Delhi. The programme received a wide coverage by Delhi’s media.

FilmIt Kolkata Festival was held on 6th February .2010 at Modern High School for Girls. The Chief Guest was Mr Ashok Vishwanathan, a renowned film director.

The festival was attended by 100 students and 10 teachers. The students put up their own self composed songs and poems on Kolkata as well as on the project. Interestingly they also read poems bringing out their learning on the project.Mr Ashok Vishwanathan and Mr G M Kapur INTACH Convenor Kolkata addressed the students and encouraged them for all their efforts. The creativity and the originality of the films were given accolades by both of them.

FilmIt Chennai Festival

FilmIt Chennai festival was held on 12th February 2010 at Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya, Mylapore. It is one of the oldest schools of Chennai close to a heritage site. Dr Suresh gave a welcome address and a brief on the project. The students enjoyed seeing themselves on the silver screen! The chief Guest was Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, noted dancer and singer. She said that she genuinely wished that she becomes a school student once again so that she too can make a film for the FilmIt Project! She also promised all help and support from her dance school for INTACH’s educational and cultural activities. Prof. Prema Kasturi, Co-Convener, INTACH Chennai Chapter proposed the vote of thanks. The function was well-attended. In addition, teachers and students from other neighbouring schools, INTACH members and representatives from the media attended the function. The festival was attended by 250 students and their teachers. The hall was packed to capacity and the late-comers had to stand at the back.