Slackline clubs and art practice as social educational and awareness tools for the slums and rural kids of Madurai
Concreately on field...
Every evening after school, the children go to Antenna Trust learning center of their village or neighborhood, animated by the local educator trained by the same NGO. Most of the time, these centerstage simply place in the little lighten street, the living room of the animator if big enough or a plastic cloth spread on the village's square.
For these 3 to 16 years old kids from lower cast (lower economical class), Antenna Trust Learning Centers are essentials. Not only because they provide help for kids classes but mainly because they provide social education and awareness about topics like domestic violence, gender equality, cast system problems, drugs etc..
It is through these structure that Roots is acting.
After a first observation stay in January 2023, our field team worked during three months from November 2023 to February 2024 with the locals hand in hand with Antenna Trust team.
During this session, we conducted more than 70 art and sport workshops with more than 200 kids and 60 women beneficiaries of Antenna Trust programs.
Every evening, our field team went to Sellur slums area and Valayapatti, Achampatti, Chinapatti, Apanthirupatti village to conduct our workshops and bring art and sport to these unreachable kids. Sometimes in the street, sometimes in the peanuts field, sometimes on the only street lamp of the village, we create moments of reflection and expression around these social themes through paintings, drawings.. and slackline learning process.
A short documentary is coming soon to show you better the reality of the Roots work and our amazing beneficiaries and collaborators!
Antenna Trust - Tamil Nadu, India
Slackline training in Achampatti, February 2024.
Antenna Trust: https://antennatrust.org
Slackline training at Valayapatti village in November 2023.
Slackline
Workshops
In the Sellur slum area, extremely congestionned, with the help of the local community, we created the very first permanent slackline spot in a slum of India. Kids are super enthusiastic and trained there every weeks, mornings from 6 to 7 before school, after school, on Sundays, under the advices of the young girl captain.
Our slackline workshops benefits:
Sharing and community: Since there is only one slackline per village, kids have to learn to organize themselves and share.
No discrimination: One slackline is shared by everyone. The slackline treats everyone alike regardless of caste, gender or age.
Overcoming fear: Initially, it is a scary process to trust yourself on the slackline. Eventually, with practice, kids will be able to overcome their initial hesitations and inhibitions.
Practice: Through the long-term practice of this sport, kids will understand that they can learn and master anything they practice and sincerely give time and effort to. Slacklining is the tool to help them achieve that realization.
Increasing an individuals ability to concentrate and focus.
Increased core strength.
Full body workout.
Mental workout that improves learning and the ability to problem solve.
Improves posture.
Meditative benefits.
Aids in mitigating anxiety and stress.
Aids in helping reduce depression.
Develops balance and coordination.
The very first Indian youth slackline championship!
In March 2024, 40 kids from the Roots slackfline clubs competed with joy at Antenna Trust ecopark. Discover it in this 2 minutes video!
Group painting activity about the cast problematic and equality in Chinnapatti, January 2023.
Art
Workshops
Our art workshops benefits:
Increase self esteem and validation feeling.
Develop new skills and progress.
Encourage exploration and expand your horizons.
Facilitate team building and community spirit.
Improve observation and concentration.
Meditative benefits.
Aids in mitigating anxiety and stress.
Aids in helping reduce depression.
Open the door to more inclusivity (gender, age, social classes, disabilities, cultur, ethnicity...).
Bring fun and engagment.
Increase patience and resilience.
Develop talent and encourage career
Facilitate access to art expression and practice.
Develop self complexity and own identity.
Evening painting workshop at Chinnappatti, in the public square, with all the kids of the primary governmental school. January 2023
Discussion and collage around the thematic of equality with the kids of Achampatti's learning center. February 2024
Drawing the vegetables, fruits and trees of the fields of Valayapatti. December 2024
Women's Workshops
The 29th of February 2023, 35 women from the slums and the villages around participated to this special day about self confidence and emotions through slackline and art therapy.
Jumping on the line to grow self-confidence, February 2024.
Individual drawing about "My Home, My World", December 2023.
Emotions-colors group activity,
February 2024.
sponsoring the 6 Antenna Trust learning centers during one year
wall painting at Chinnapatti governmental school
wall painting at Valayapatti governmental school
collaboration with Achampatti governmental school to give slackline and art workshop to the all school kids
organization of the second slackline championship
organization of women's workshops
preparation for 2025 projects (for example sponsoring of rickshaws and driving licence for the futurs women drivers of Achampatti and Chinnapatti)
