Bakul promotes the Arts in its myriad forms (both visual and performing) to showcase and develop the
imagination, creativity and sensitivity in people. The focus has been Art Education both to educate
people on Art and through Art.
Although the Arts is not a regular focus area of NGOs, Bakul believes that developmental
interventions lose out because there is little dialogue with artists. We all agree that an image
speaks more than 1000 words, yet we do not engage with Art. Moreover, artists engage with the same
developmental and political concerns as social activists.
Bakul believes in the power of Art to create awareness and has been called upon to demonstrate the impact of using the Arts in creating awareness on several issues such as Peace, HIV and domestic labour. This is in addition to using the Arts to create awareness on the issues Bakul works on such as tree gifting and water/sanitation.
Hence, there has been an emphasis on Public Art.
Bakul organizing the painting of the Wall of Peace in which hundreds of artists, including
eminent national artists, professionals, art college students, school students etc. participated
in painting a 500 ft long wall on the theme of Peace after the ethnic violence in Kandhamal to
give the message of Art and Peace.
The same public wall has been painted as the Wall of Water on World Water Day 2013.
The education through Art can only happen when an ecosystem is created, which encourages the Arts and provides a platform for it. Hence, one of the major activities is Art Education. Apart from workshops on Arts such as storytelling, theatre and 3D Street Art with global experts, Bakul has also been organizing Art Exhibitions and hosting SPIC MACAY programmes and other such interactions to promote awareness on different Arts
