Pearl Academy Mumbai introduces design through workshops to children of Salaam Baalak Trust

As part of the #MumbaiByDesign initiative, Pearl Academy hosted children from Salaam Baalak Trust, an NGO that works for street children, at its campus at Andheri East in Mumbai.

#MumbaiByDesign is a design initiative conceptualized by Pearl Academy that demonstrates the power of design thinking to reimagine Mumbai with the aim of developing sustainable solutions to the city's many functional and environmental problems.

The first phase of the initiative was held in two segments. In the first segment, children from the Salaam Baalak Trust were invited for an immersive workshop on Art and Design. The children were divided into three groups, based on age, and were taught various primary and secondary colors associated with particular shapes, creating new colors, layout design and design composition.

In the second segment, Salaam Balak Trust assigned a portion of a large wall in its Andheri shelter for Pearl students to paint. The three-day activity was an exhilarating experience for the students and faculty as they created the framework and background of what became the #MumbaiByDesign wall. The students used the design concepts taught during the workshops and put them to practical use. The painted wall is an ode to Mumbai city, which is full of the contrasting hustle and bustle, along with the peace that the sea brings along.

The second phase of this initiative will be a design festival which will be held at Pearl Academy Mumbai Campus and will be dedicated to workshops, panel discussion and competitions for students from colleges across the city. This will be a two-day event which will be held in January 2019.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Nandita Abraham, President, Pearl Academy said, "Pearl Academy is delighted to take the Mumbai By Design concept to the next level. This initiative aims to connect with young minds and help them use their innate creativity to come up with sustainable solutions for the city. Mumbai is the city of dreams. We have taken upon ourselves the responsibility to set in motion conversations that intrigue, question, observe and offer solutions to the very many aspects of what keeps this city ticking. We are happy that our students got an opportunity to paint the Andheri shelter of Salaam Baalak Trust and we look forward to more such opportunities in future.