36 students gathered excitedly at Amidyala in Uravakonda on 29th December 2020 for the RDT Arts Festival. They participated in competitions like picture painting, rangoli, clay modelling, handwriting, paper cutting, nature collage, and more.

RDT has continued its ritual of organizing an art festival on 14th November every year at the main office, where children who won the competitions at the regional level compete together. But, as we have adjusted every aspect of our lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the RDT Arts Festival had to adapt, too.

So that children did not miss out on the event, these festivals were held in 27 areas, following safety precautions, from the 21st to 30th of December, 2020. Over 1,100 children participated.

“After the lockdown, with schools being closed we thought we would not be able to organize the event but the team at RDT Education sector as well as the regional staff have worked hard to put this together. It is such a delight to see the children thrilled to participate here,” says Susheelamma, the area team leader at Uravakonda.

The buzz and excitement around the room before the activities began was very evident. “I was eagerly looking forward to the event but due to the lockdown, I was told that has been cancelled. Now I am excited and can’t wait to do my art and win the prize,” says Ram Charan, a 10-year-old student, beaming.

At RDT, arts and cultural activities help encourage creativity in children so they can hone their talents and skills. Here are some of the pictures from the event:

When painting gives joy. ©RDT

Busy creating out of paper ©RDT

“I love playing with colors.”  ©RDT

Do not disturb, artwork in progress! ©RDT

Masked on, ready to create some art and have fun! ©RDT

Pop of colors to brighten the day. ©RDT

“Cricket is my favorite sport, so I replicated an entire cricket ground.” ©RDT

Painting away the lockdown blues! ©RDT

Showcasing their handwriting skills. ©RDT

Precision is the key to a perfectly molded clay piece. ©RDT

Text: Tahiya Tarannum, adapted by Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA

Pictures: Rama Mohan