Syed Sadiq S

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA will explore the role of the museum in different pedagogic processes of teaching history with sixth and seventh grade students at the Government Model Higher Primary School (Hindi Medium), Bellary in Bellary district. Syed Sadiq S is the Coordinator for this project.

Syed Sadiq S is a trained graduate from Ninasam and an active theatre practitioner from Mysuru, currently settled in Hospet. He has served as an artist, director and light designer with theatre groups at Hospet, Shivamogga and Mysore. For many years Syed has been conducting theatre workshops for children. Given his experience he is best placed to be the Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.

Teachers are forced to use state-adopted texts, approved materials and methods in order to facilitate learning. The creativity of designing a lesson plan that meets the needs of each student, while fostering the imagination and creativity can be all but lost when constrained by such parameters. There is a need to look outside the classroom for resources that can enhance curriculum effectiveness. Museums as magical places, where children encounter a treasure trove of collections that can bring alive what they learn in school, can be one such resource. The primary objective of this project is to find how integrating engagement with museums in the classroom teaching can aid in unlocking a child’s imagination creating a unique learning experience.

The Robert Bruce Foote Sanganakallu Archaeological Museum (RBFSAM) at Bellary is dedicated to Robert Bruce Foote, a British geologist who was employed with the Geological Survey of India. The museum houses artefacts from the Paleolithic period to the Iron Age; human and animal remains from various sites; plant remains, especially charred grains, from the Neolithic and Iron Age levels at Sanganakallu; beads and other objects of adornment; and ritual and symbolic objects. This museum is at the heart of thie projects.

Sanjana Rangan who looks after RBFSAM is known for developing educational content for student visitors and facilitating dialogues at the museum between students and schools. Her role in this project is crucial, as Syed, the project coordinators, will work in close collaboration with her to develop activities for the children. Through visits to the museum the project will introduce students to visual culture, aesthetics, and cultural representations; help them think about embodied perception; and give them practice reading visual texts. Museum visits will also be opportunities to encourage students to grapple with ambiguity, hone skills related to evidentiary reasoning, promote dialogue, and prepare for dealing with tough subjects.

The project will enable students to observe in a self-conscious, mindful, and critical manner. During the museum visits Syed will also encourage students to as, “What am I seeing and experiencing? Why is this exhibit or artifact interesting to me? How was this artifact used? How does this exhibit, artifact or experience make me feel?” By doing so, the project hopes to not only facilitate a more rooted understanding of their cultural experiences but also to draw connections to what they study at school.

Using an integrated approach that involves visual art, music, theatre and dance, the project also seeks to build both appreciation and abilities for reading and writing among students.    

The outcome of this project will be a performance, an exhibition for school staff and community members, and a publication. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will include photographs, the publication and video documentation of the entire project.

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Education programme in the manner in which it attempts to connect classroom teaching to engaged experiences in a museum as a resource for knowledge.

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.