Kirti Sharma, Co-CEO, Crimson Schools

“Culture and arts education is a transformative tool for fostering creativity, critical thinking, and empathy—essential for addressing today’s complex challenges,” highlighted Tim Curtis, Director, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, while commenting on Rhythms of Learning: The 2024 State of the Education Report for India by UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia. The report emphasizes the integration of arts and culture into education to enhance creativity, inclusivity, and sustainability and recommends policy reforms, teacher training, and technological advancements to strengthen cultural learning.

Recognizing the importance of creative engagement in education, Winmore Academy, Whitefield, Bengaluru—part of the Crimson group of schools—organized the Crimson Arts Festival, a three-day immersive experience that provided a platform for individual expression and collaborative learning. Held from January 23 to 25, 2025, the event welcomed students from various Crimson Schools, including Winmore Academy, Jakkur; St. Andrews High School, Suchitra; St. Andrews School, Keesara; and St. Michaels School, Alwal.

The festival featured workshops across various artistic disciplines, encouraging participants to explore both traditional techniques and contemporary creative practices. Students engaged in Patachitra painting, miniature art, filmmaking, digital artistry, Tetra Pack printmaking, nature and wildlife photography, art with code, light-up badge design, and bookbinding, gaining hands-on experience in multiple mediums. Equal emphasis was placed on real-world artistic and cultural exposure, with curated excursions to historical and cultural sites allowing students to observe, analyze, and draw inspiration from their surroundings. This reinforced the idea that art is as much about experience as it is about technique.

Just as the Crimson Arts Festival provided a space for visual and performing arts, Crimson Literati extended this engagement to literature and language. The festival brought together students, educators, and literary enthusiasts, instilling a love for storytelling, reading, and intellectual exploration. Through literary games, interactive sessions, book-themed challenges, and discussions with celebrated authors, Crimson Literati ensured that students not only appreciated literature but also experienced it as an engaging and thought-provoking art form.

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