JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired a review meeting to examine a proposal for extending cultural activities to schools and higher education institutions across all districts of Jammu & Kashmir, with the aim of harnessing and channelising the creative potential of the youth through structured arts-based interventions.
The meeting, convened under the aegis of the Department of Culture, was attended by senior officers of the Culture and School Education departments along with other stakeholders.
Chairing the meeting, the Chief Secretary called for a well-structured and actionable plan for attracting the young population of J&K towards arts and cultural activities. He suggested that a number of selected High Schools, Higher Secondary Schools and higher education institutions be identified and utilised as nodal centres for discovering, nurturing and giving direction to potential talent in art forms including poetry, creative writing, theatre, visual arts, painting and music.
The CS underlined the critical importance of identifying and engaging resource persons from diverse art forms as an essential prerequisite for the success of the programme. He emphasised that youth engagement through the arts is fully in consonance with the spirit and vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for a holistic, experiential and multidisciplinary approach to learning.
The Chief Secretary stressed that participation of youth in cultural activities must be made impactful and interactive, moving beyond passive reception to active engagement. “We need to encourage our youth to participate meaningfully in such activities. The engagement has to be impactful and interactive,” he observed.
Underlining the broader significance of culture as a sector, Atal Dulloo noted that culture is a great cause of economic activity and its relevance will only grow in the age of automation and Artificial Intelligence. “Culture and the arts will foster meaningful human existence in the age of AI. It is not just about heritage preservation, it is about building a future-ready generation rooted in identity and creativity,” he remarked.
A detailed presentation on “Youth Engagement and Empowerment through Arts in Jammu & Kashmir” was made by renowned theatre personality and founder-director of Natrang, Balwant Thakur, who outlined a comprehensive, multi-phase framework for integrating arts-based interventions in educational institutions across the Union Territory.
The presentation highlighted the need for integrated arts-based interventions encompassing theatre and storytelling, music and dance and visual arts and crafts as purposeful tools within educational processes. It underscored that art builds confidence, creativity and critical thinking, strengthens communication and public speaking skills, bridges gaps in traditional education, fosters leadership qualities through empathy and collaboration and prepares youth to compete at national and international levels.
The proposed programme outlined a three-phase implementation strategy: Phase I focused on Exposure and Awareness through formation of Travelling Art Units conducting live performances at schools, especially in underserved and remote areas; Phase II covering Identification and Capacity Building of Trainers by selecting and training serving government school teachers as Art Resource Persons; and Phase III entailing District-Level Implementation through deployment of Art Resource Persons, formation of School Art Clubs, organisation of workshops and art camps and District and UT-level Art Festivals for talent recognition.
The Chief Secretary directed joint formulation of a detailed, time-bound plan of action, assuring that approvals would be accorded at the earliest. He advised that implementation be commenced without delay, with a robust feedback mechanism put in place to continuously improve the programme. “Start with these activities, take feedback from the beneficiaries, improve further and make it a truly impactful initiative for our youth,” the Chief Secretary concluded.