On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021, we are happy to find that this moment marks a year which has passed since we started working in the villag of Dhosa in Sunderban, South 24 pgns . Here are a few initiatives which Culture Monks & DCBS has undertaken through partnership and innovation which seeks to create perceptive in women situated in places and conditions who otherwise don’t have access to culture/aesthetics education and sports facilities.
The objective of these strategic interventions is to transform lives of the women in these communities by providing them with the tools – aesthetic, intellectual as well as the financial and infrastructural support to enable them to create new identities and products which will significantly change their position and will build a balanced society.
Partners
We would like to thank our partners who were instrumental in getting this project initiated and sustained.
Writer Tina Biswas, The Embassy of Israel in India, MasterPeace, Lazzaro Art , Prasthan Theatre Group & many others who are supporting and contributing towards these projects.
Greater Sunderban Girls Football Academy
This is the first time in the history of the District of Sunderban in West Bengal that girls are playing & getting trained in football by qualified coaches. The academy which started in Nov 2020 now has 120 girls. We are now looking at raising resources to build the necessary infrastructure which will enable player development. However, the main objective of the academy as with sports is to build physical and mental strength , with a wider world view, better social skills and knowledge for future community leadership.
Bridging the contemporary global and the local
Through interventions such as the one on The International Women’s Day, 2021, where we are projecting contemporary visual artworks as part of Lazzaro_Art doesn’t sleep during the ceremony which celebrates the women’s day through local art practices – an event which will be witnessed by over 300 girls & women, we are building the artistic bridge between the global contemporary and the local aesthetics sensibilities.
Unearthing Design – Creating identity and design thinking
Through a series of workshops aimed at introducing the women to modern concepts of designs as well providing with the lens to look at their own history and lives and unearth motifs and narratives which becomes part of their narrative self beyond their perceived current existential self where they are perceiving a void due to the lack of such an exercise.
The longer term objective is for them to develop fashion items and accessories where they inscribe these narratives.
Tree of Hope : a performance project
Tree of Hope is a performance project where through workshops and public stagings we investigate and fins solutions to the various aspects of the postion of women and the citizens in the politics & society.
Direct Economic Aid
We have tried and shall continue to try and facilitate economic change in the conditions of the women through direct financial support to aid their livelihood activities.
Culture Monks 