“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
― Bertolt Brecht
Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram hosted the Inter-School Art, Dance and Music Festival, Abhivyakti, on Saturday, 13 July 2024. The event was themed ‘Abhivyakti’, a Hindi phrase meaning ‘Expression’. The aim of this cultural extravaganza was to give the students a wide platform where they could freely express their creativity through music, dance and art. It was a way to explore their creativity beyond the four walls of the classroom.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from 20 schools from across North India in various competitions ranging from artistic endeavours such as mask paintings to musical and dance showcases, imbibing the spirit of artistic expression. It offered a platform for students to showcase their talent and zest for creativity.
‘Abhivyakti’ comprised six diverse events – The True Patriots, I Feel – Mask Painting, Craft Hangings, Dance It Out, When Taal Meets Melody, and Tunes and Beats.
‘The True Patriots’ was a canvas-painting competition centred around the essence of patriotism for students of classes IX-XII. The event saw beautiful and mesmerising paintings that highlighted the notion of patriotism in a diverse manner. The event was judged by Mr Pankaj Guru, a veteran artist who has a vast experience in the field of Metal Sculptures,Relief Murals and different forms of art. The criteria for the judgement was research, creative thinking, relevance, skill, execution and impact.
‘I Feel – Mask Painting’ provided participants from classes IX-XII with the chance to convey their feelings in creative expressions through mask paintings. The competition focussed upon painting masks that represented emotions like amusement, anger, confusion, disappointment, doubt, elation, pain and sadness. Mr Shashi Paul, a renowned freelance artist who has worked in diverse mediums judged the event on the basis of aesthetic appeal, relevance, skill and creative thinking.
‘Craft Hangings’ served as a platform for students of classes VI-VIII to weave depictions of Indian cultural heritage into a single piece of craft. The participants were judged on their creative ability by Ms Kuheli Paul, an expert in painting,wood , leather design and Ceramics and had been associated with nurturing creative young minds since years.
‘Dance It Out’ was a fusion freestyle dance event for students of Classes VIII-XII wherein participants emphasised upon the essence of women empowerment through passionate displays of Western and Indian dance forms. Ms Madhumita Raut, a globally recognised face of Odissi dance and recipient of the Bharatamuni Award, and Mr Rajat Bakshi, who was trained at Broadway Dance Centre, New York and has been associated with the Arttree Academy of Music and Performing Arts, were the judges for the event. The participants were judged based on their choreography, expression, rhythm and originality.
‘When Taal Meets Melody’ was a group song event where each team consisted of eight participants and were allowed to use a maximum of 3 instruments. The teams sang a mix of cover and original songs. The performances were judged on creativity, originality, quality of composition, rhythm and intonation by Mr Livingstone Kashung, a Grade VIII Rock & Pop Musician and a Western Music Teacher at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, and Mr Manjeet Singh, Senior Faculty at Shri Ram Bhartiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi.
‘Tunes and Beats’ was an instrumental fusion orchestra event for classes VI-XII wherein participants had to perform with a minimum of 4 Western and 4 Indian instruments, apart from any other unique instrument. Each school was allowed to send 8-10 participants. The panel of judges consisted of Mr Andrew Kamei, a multi-instrumentalist and Western Music Teacher at Gems International School, Gurgaon, and Mr Ashwani Sudan, a distinguished composer, lyricist and bearer of the titles of Sangeet Praveen and Sangeet Bhaskar. Participants were judged on intonation, synchronisation, rhythm and originality.
The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest, Ms Gaurie Dwivedi, the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan, the Vice Principal, Mr Naresh Miglani, and the Headmistress, Ms Rashmi Malhotra. The Abhivyakti valedictory ceremony began with an introduction to the various events under the purview of the fest. The Chief Guest, Ms. Gaurie Dwivedi, an alumnus of Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram, is a versatile and multi-faceted person, a classical dancer, a seasoned journalist, an author of international repute, a Senior Editor with The Economic Times and the Editorial Head for ET Grey Cell. She was felicitated by the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan with a plant as a token of regard. In her address, Ms Padma Srinivasan emphasised on the importance of such creative platforms in making our mechanical lives more meaningful. She said that Art is a multifaceted phenomenon, serving as a reflection of our innermost emotions and the world around us . Art transcends languages and cultures, and becomes an invaluable asset in fostering unity and peace. She also congratulated the participating schools and reiterated that the students who participate in such mega-events are all winners, as performing in front of such a large crowd can be considered an achievement in itself. The winning performances were showcased in the AVH to a rousing applause. The young performers enthralled the audience with powerful renditions, fuelled with fervour and talent.
The chief guest, Ms Gaurie Dwivedi, highlighted the importance of art as a means to pave the way for the future. She appreciated the efforts of all the participants, emphasising how they had enhanced their performances through their intricate expressions, having captured the essence of ‘Abhivyakti’. She also reminded students to seize the opportunities the stage provides, enjoying every step of the way. After much anticipation, the results of the fest were announced and the winners were called to the stage to be presented with various awards and accolades for their achievements. Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Greater Noida emerged as the overall winner.
The ceremony drew to a close with the Headmistress, Ms Rashmi Malhotra, proposing the vote of thanks. She thanked the Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan, for her vision and for providing students with such opportunities so as to help in their all round development which will place them firmly on a global platform in the years to come. She thanked the Vice Principals, Mr Naresh Miglani, Mr Anil Kathuria, Mr Mukesh Kumar, and the Headmistress, Dr Anubha Gopal, for their unstinted support in making such events a huge success. She thanked all the teachers involved in any capacity for their sincere hard work and dedication, and the support staff for working tirelessly in helping make this event a success.
The ceremony concluded with the national anthem.
| Overall Winner | Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Greater Noida |
| When Taal Meets Melody | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Mayoor School, Noida |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Faridabad |
| Third Position | Birla Vidya Niketan |
| Tunes and Beats | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Faridabad |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Greater Noida |
| Third Position | Mayoor School, Noida |
| Dance It Out | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram / Delhi Public School, Greater Noida |
| Second Position | East Point School |
| Third Position | Rukmani Devi Public School, Pitampura |
| The True Patriots | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, Mathura Road |
| Second Position | Father Agnel School |
| Third Position | Birla Vidya Niketan |
| I Feel – Mask Painting | |
| First Position | Gyan Bharti School |
| Second Position | Father Agnel School |
| Third Position | Tagore International School,Vasant Vihar |
| Craft Hangings – Indian Art | |
| First Position | Rukmani Devi Public School, Pitampura |
| Second Position | St. George’s School |
| Third Position | Birla Vidya Niketan |