It is commonly experienced truth that if opportunities, embedded with a dash of encouragement and a sprinkle of inspiration come our way, we feel the magic touch of the sprouts of creative energy taking roots. (These sprouts, in some cases, branch out in different directions and attain majestic heights of excellence. Such an all transforming growth becomes manifestingly clear in the case of children).

This belief lead our team to undertake an experimental program under the banner ‘Story on demand’. The venue for this academic adventure was Lpct Vidyalaya in the One Town area of Vijayawada. The active participation and generous corporation of the management, staff and students of the school gave it a kickstart.

There is a background for our breaking into an unexplored ground. we have been running an art school named ‘Shiny Happy House’ for the last few years In Patamata Vijayawada and were in search of a suitable place to open a branch in the One Town area. In that context, we consulted

Mr Dharmendra, an active and important member of the school management. He came forward to offer land free of cost but the offer was with a rider that we should undertake some program in their school for the benefit of the students.

The proposal was happily accepted and our team went with the idea of introducing the ‘Cheryala art form’ to the students. We were aware that merely making a true copy of the original may enhance the copying skills but in no way, helps the student tap his creative potential. Instead of the mythological and historical themes that Cheryala art is known for the students were asked to use this art form to depict their own stories.

About 40 students of different ages with zeal for storytelling were chosen and were asked to narrate their stories. For about three days they came up with stories they picked up here and there but almost all the narrations were broadly of one kind. As the students went on listening to one another’s narration, the boredom crept in with the repetition of the same storyline.

In order to ignite in the minds of students new ideas and themes, we created for them new contexts with elaborate examples and asked them questions to make sure they had clarity of thought. we discussed with them the important components and aspects that go into the making of an interesting story. As the brainstorming sessions went on for some time, their ideas started gaining clarity, new themes and storylines started flowing. Each of the chosen forty active participants came up with three to five stories. They took some time for the new stories to be transferred on canvas as ‘Cheryala paintings’ mounted on 2”x2” thermocol boards.

On the day of the exhibition, the students lined up holding their proud achievements. As the staff and other students went around, asking the student artist to explain the story in the display, the new bunch of joyful and elated ‘Cheryala painters’ were found busy elaborating their theme paintings. The exhibition was for about two hours.

When asked about their experience as participants in the program there was a torrent of enthusiastic response. To our surprise, the non-participants too after the exhibition came forward enthusiastically to narrate their own stories. The ‘Story on demand’ gave us the fillip to venture into more challenging and path-breaking explorations.