5-week Youth Skill Development camps at National Museum

National Museum (NM) is celebrating the International Museum Day from Sunday with a five-week series of youth-centric summer workshops for developing their skills and talent in various fields of all-round personality.

Painting workshops, story-telling sessions, clay-modelling and print-making, besides learning an ancient script and decorative arts form the core activities for boys and girls of the 7 to 17 years group in different categories in 'Playtime at National Museum' sessions spanning from May 18 to June 25.

Registration (till May 22 for the activities of this month and May 31 for the June activities) is free.

The stories and lecture sessions on the May 18 Museum Day at NM will be for the public at large, irrespective of age. It will start with a three-day Tanjore painting workshop for 30 students of the 13-17 age bracket. It features sessions of two hours each, starting from 11 am.

The Sunday proceedings will also see sessions open for people of all ages. In the forenoon is a 'Story in the Gallery' on Hanuman (being delivered by Sanjib Kumar Singh, while afternoon sessions are two: 'How to Look at Miniatures' (led by Dr Kanaklata Singh) and on 'Ancient Games' (Anamika Pathak and Zhahid Ali).

A highlight of the day would be 'trail and activity, where children would be served with booklets at NM reception. They can then trace the images shown in the book and return with stickers - as proof to have found the objects at NM galleries.

On May 23 and 24 are touch-and-learn sessions (four hours each) on decorative art.

May 27 and 28 will have a story session (on The Missing Necklace of the Harappan Girl) and 'Play with Clay' respectively.

The June activities will cover print-making, script learning, story sessions and 'know your museum' besides touch-and-learn on arms and armour.