Stories are all around us

Advertisements of everyday utensils and the portrayal of women in them will also be addressed. Pic Courtesy/Dr Anagha Kusum

While conducting various workshops for schoolchildren, Pune-based community archaeologist, artist and educator Dr Anagha Kusum has noticed that a contextual understanding of time and history is missing among them. Based on her experiences of interacting with kids from six districts of Maharashtra, Kusum decided to use visual art as the main tool in helping children understand history as a concept. "When we say history, we usually refer to political history. Children don't really know how to study the subject, or how to seek stories from history. But you don't have to go far to find history - it's there in the objects around you," she elaborates, adding that we only need to train our lens to observe them.

Dr Anagha Kusum

In an upcoming, two-part virtual workshop, organised by Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, Kusum will teach children how to look for stories in everyday utensils surrounding us - be it a spoon, a mug or a wall clock. The sessions, which will be conducted in Marathi, are aimed at kids between 12 and 15 years. Illustrating how utensils at home can unlock local and family histories, Kusum shares, "For instance, if you look at a utensil that you've recently purchased, and compare it to an older version that your grandparents might've left you, you'll be looking at two different time zones, which will give you an insight into the social, political and cultural histories of that time."

Kusum plans to start with a brief history of how kitchen utensils have evolved from the time humans first boiled water. Participants will learn how to use utensils to understand history, by picking out actual objects from their kitchens. "We'll also talk about the role of designing. I'll show them a video of artists who use everyday kitchen utensils to create art. During the break between the two sessions, they'll have to find an age-old object in their house and dig out its story. We'll also look at how some utensils make their way into our language," explains Kusum. To help kids to observe and explore objects in multifarious ways, "we'll look at advertisements of utensils over the years. At the end of the session, they'll also make a zine to illustrate the story of the object they picked," she concludes.

On: June 19 and 26; 4 pm to 6 pm
Email: education@bdlmuseum.org
Cost: Rs 200