atulyakala

With over a deaf community of over 18 million, it is surprising that much of India is ignorant about the Indian Sign Language. In order to ensure that the deaf community is not ostracized, it is necessary that ISL be accepted the same way any traditional oral language, such as English or Hindi, are accepted and people are made aware of it. As a small effort on our part, Atulyakala recently conducted an Indian Sign Language workshop at Zostel, Jaipur.

Zostel was the ideal location for such an event as youth from across the world chose Zostel as their preferred accommodation. The Sign Language workshop conducted was attended by youth from all over the world; Switzerland, Britain, United States, China, and India. Despite the fact that all of them spoke different languages, none of them had any problem in picking up the Indian Sign Language. ISL acted as a single medium of communication to bind people across the border of languages.

The entire workshop was conducted by a single deaf individual. Despite not being able to speak, he was able to communicate with people speaking languages ranging from Swiss to Chinese. Such interactive spaces where the deaf and hearing communities come together also cause a shift of perspective about the abilities of a deaf person. The response from the participants was heartwarming.

Travelers made for a befitting audience as they are open to experiencing new cultures, meeting new people and learning new things. Louella, a participant from Ahmedabad, remarked that “It is amazing to know that there is a whole world out there which I wasn’t aware of previously. But now I can communicate with a deaf person whenever I come across one.”

 Why is it that a person with hearing impairment is referred to not only as ‘deaf’ but also as ‘dumb’? How many times have we heard the phrase ‘deaf and dumb’ being used to address people with speech and hearing impairment?

Standing at over 18 million, India has the highest population of deaf in the world. Yet, social awareness of hearing impairment in India is practically absent.

With such a large deaf population, it is of utmost importance that Indian society understands the problems and challenges that come with hearing loss. Rather than alienating the deaf community, we need to learn to embrace it.

The phrase ‘deaf and dumb’ reflects the prevailing image of the deaf community. The phrase comes with a connotation of lower intellect. This echoes the dearth of opportunities for the deaf community to grow and foster in their respective fields. It creates a barrier for the progress of deaf people and causes them to stay cocooned. The first step towards the betterment of the deaf community is to get rid of such demeaning terminology. Nyle DiMarco, the winner of Dancing With the Stars 2016, took offense to Fox News’ headline and tweeted, "I'm Deaf and I'm not ignorant at all." It is time that we as a community start using better words to address the hearing impaired.

 The #deafnotdumb campaign is a step taken towards the empowerment of the deaf community of India. Currently, there are only 250 interpreters for the 18 million deaf across India, or, 1 interpreter for every 72,000 deaf! This is a statistic that needs drastic improvement as soon as possible. Not only do we need more interpreters, but we need schools to adopt a bilingual mode of teaching. Just like English and Hindi or English and Marathi are used for parlance in many institutes and organisations, teachers need to conduct classes in Indian Sign Language as that is something a deaf student would understand.  We need to train teachers in Indian Sign Language and ensure that children are not deprived of an education just because of their hearing impairment. Without sign language training, the deaf members of the community will never be able to receive quality education. Doing so will ensure better job opportunities and a brighter future for the deaf. In fact, sign language can help create job opportunities as people who learn the language can go on to become interpreters and instructors one day.

Due to the social stigma associated with deafness, deaf people usually have a very low self-esteem. Right from their childhood, they are forced to converse orally – which they cannot do. It is very important that parents with hearing-impaired children are immersed in deaf culture and made aware of life-skills essential for their children and themselves The lack of awareness of deafness and Indian Sign Language leads to a communication barrier between the deaf and the hearing community, causing the deaf to feel secluded and socially ostracised. The #deafnotdumb campaign aims to increase awareness of hearing impairment and the Indian Sign Language among the hearing community to bridge the gap between the hearing and the deaf. 

#Deafnotdumb  Campaign on Twitter. Deaf community members sharing their success stories.

As a part of the deaf and mute community, by now, we are aware of what Atulyakala is all about. Keeping aside the jargon, Atulyakala is a socially responsible lifestyle brand endeavoring to empower deaf artists across India. We are happy to share that we have established a training center above the Atulyakala Studio for deaf students to equip them with some essential and life-relevant education. We also enhance their Indian Sign Language vocabulary and fluency .It was really depressing to see how the deaf and mute were deprived of equal access to quality education because of the communication barrier, therefore, we are focusing on English, Mathematics, Geography so that they can become self-reliant and navigate through the tides that come along each day.

The teaching is not just limited to academics, we also provide skill-training of photography and photoshop as we have observed that most of our students have an artistic flair and an eye for detail. Perhaps, art is the medium through which they communicate the best.  Having an interactive classroom is central to our ideology and hence we make sure that students get energizers at regular intervals. The whole idea behind having a training center is to bring the deaf community out the nutshell that has been created around them because of the taboos and limited opportunities made available to them. To facilitate such a change in the personality of each student, we have brought in theatre and mime artists to coach students. And unsurprisingly, the students enjoy Mime workshops the most! 

It is because of this balance between academic, professional and artistic training that we have been able to develop a curriculum which engages the student. It is really rewarding to witness the excitement of the students in the classroom on the weekends. They are as eager for the classes as they will be for going out for a movie :D .

After every session, we give a “student of the day” award which revs up the students and motivates them further. It is amazing to watch the students flutter their beautiful wings and prepare themselves for their flight into this world of our. Their actions speak more than their words would ever do, because we are deaf not dumb! 

We would like to say thank you to all the people who contributed to our deaf and awesome campaign. It was because of your support that we were able to set up this training center.

 If you wish to donate to Deaf and Awesome campaign then please click on the link below:

 https://milaap.org/campaigns/deafandawesome

-by Oshin Dhawan

                                       Awesome Atulyakala

“I’ve begun to realise that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.”

                                                                                                  - Chiam Potok

Sometimes I think how easily some people describe what they feel. How easily do some people express themselves. How easily do some people put words to their emotions. And sometimes I also wonder how often do we talk about what we think about fear, hope and faith.

My time at Atulyakala has led me to believe that silence is a text easy to misread. Atulyakala is a brand with a difference. Atulyakala works with deaf artists creating some amazingly marvellous products. Now that’s art without borders! Atulyakala also works towards bridging the gap that exists between the deaf & the hearing community. 

At Atulyakala I met Amit Vardhan a.k.a Amit Bhaiya as everyone calls him. Amit Bhaiya is an artist. A creative genius.

And what justice he does to his pen and paper. Such a chirpy bird. It is hard to find people like Amit Bhaiya these days. Full of energy and laughter. Well, did I mention he is a die hard Raveena fan (pyaar ho toh aisa)

Pintoo Sharma is a photographer. Pintoo Bhaiya clicks brilliance. And what a sparkling smile Pintoo Bhaiya has. The perfect Happydent waali smile. Main toh fan ho gayi iss smile ki.

Next is Loki. Silent but not so violent. Or may be. Loki only bites, only sometimes. He is the apple of everyone’s eyes here. He adds loveliness to the colorful studio.

I hope to learn new things each day here at Atulyakala. Be it expressing oneself through sign language or emotions. (Because sign language is equally about emotions as is it about the movement of the hands)

Everytime I come here I take back more than I come with. That is the magic that takes place at Atulyakala. Atulyakala is a beautiful place with beautiful people. And I am so glad to be part of the change here at Atulyakala. #AwesomenessIsAtulyakala

                                               The Rickshaw-Puller

My perception towards life has changed, since the time I have started working with Atulyakala. Sign language has become part of my life, so much so, that it almost comes naturally to me now :D

One fine afternoon, as I was walking out of Karol Bagh Metro station, I saw a group of chaotically arranged rickshaw-pullers, constantly calling out to their potential customers, “Gaffar! Gaffar! ” I went to one of the Rickshaws, standing quite aloof from the bunch, under the neem shade, wondering that the seat of the rickshaw would be less hot as compared to other rickshaw since it was under the tree shade, face of rickshaw-puller was sun-burnt and wrinkled; he was wearing a white half-sleeve vest and dull colored jeans. I asked him if he will take me to Aanand Parvat, he nodded his head and raised his four fingers (asking for 40 rupees) and I, the women that I am just started bargaining and asked him to settle on thirty rupees (Aah! now that I think of it, it makes me wonder what was I saving those 10 rupees for? A packet of chips or was it just my automaton that made me bargain, *guilty much*) he agreed, I sat on his Rickshaw. The sun that afternoon was quite harsh and the heat was blood-sucking, burning sun was playing hide and seek on the man’s body as I sat on his rickshaw I felt the hot breeze (loo) which was obviously hitting bhaiya’s face too, but he was “paddling! paddling! paddling!”  his rickshaw, pulling me with all his energy and as he rode the rickshaw, I could clearly see his tattered jeans. That day I was travelling alone, must have weighed around 50 kgs :P but, I often travel with friends, but for him the idea of sawari is not about how much kilos he drags(as now we have e-rickshaw in his competition.) He pulls people on his rickshaw through the lanes, byways and streets of Delhi, where elephant sized buses, and expensive cars with closed windows zip by him. As he was pulling me on the road, he suddenly stopped because 3 boys came in his way. The rickshaw-puller started doing “tringg-tringg” to make those boys move from his way but the boys were literary “unmoved”, it was almost like this rickshaw doesn’t even existfor a moment I thought that maybe they are deaf, but soon my illusion broke the moment a car waala started honking at the rickshaw and then boys suddenly responded  and I realized that they were not deaf but were only to deaf to the rickshaw waala, finally  we reach where he was suppose to drop me. I got down, I gave him forty rupees and said dhanyawaad, he gave me a big smile (I never knew 10 rupees could make someone smile like he was the millionaire) and turned his rickshaw. As I walked by way, I heard the voice “Aa-aa”, that rickshaw-puller was trying to stop a car so that he can move is rickshaw easily. He was deaf(I am still wondering how he understood when I asked him to take me to Aanand Parvat, was it the lip movement or was it he just use to the route) By the time I tried to communicate with him,  he took other person on his rickshaw and started his rickshaw journey again…….!!

                                                                               By-Oshin Dhawan

My First visit to Atulyakala, place where Deaf talk through art :)

My first vsit to Atulyakala can not be really expressed in words, but here is an attempt to put it in the best possible way I can.

My visit to Atulyakala was not really planned, but it just happened. I remember how exhausted I was feeling after giving adieu to my seniors and all I needed at that time was a bed, pillow and some peaceful sleep. But, well things really doesnt turn up the way you design or plan them to be and all of sudden I decided to visit Atulyakala studio. I started calling Smriti( founder of Atulyakala) to give me directions, but she could not take my call and I thought that may be I should go back. But somwhere my inner voice did not let me go back *thank God*, although, I was all prepare that I might have to return without even visiting studio but, I wanted to find studio. With all these thoughts running in my mind I finally reached Dwarka Mor metro station, I wasnt sure which exit to take,but then I saw this board of “Mohan Garden” and I made a way out from there and started wandering, asking people about the directions ( p.s-asking directions is something I always have fun with) and finally reached a point from where Atulyakala was near (atleast that is what my guilt says). Walking! Walking! Walking! Asking! Asking! Asking! Straying from one road to another and Ta-daaa I saw this one differently, assorted painted gate which stands out of all other tedious gates around it, obviously that was Atulyakala :D and *ting-tong*, but nobody opened I was scared that may be they can not hear , how do I ask them to open the door. And then I saw this man busy on his phone(he was actually trying to call me, Smriti asked him to contact me) and then I waved my hand to him and he finally responded to me, called my name and asked me to join in’ his name was jitu. Finally, I entered the studio, as I was walking towards the studio, every step I took was beautiful(trust me on that), every stair I stepped up was painted, every corner I crossed was colored. When I entered, right in front of me was the wall fully covered with CD’s giving collision of disco lights, specially made for selfie lovers( well! Thats me :P) then Jitu introduced me to the deaf artists out there, Jitu himself is an artist . He told them my name using sign language(well! that was for the first time people understood my name in one go, yes! that felt really good, no wrong pronunciations :D) and then I saw beautiful smile on their faces, maybe more beautiful than the art work done by them all over the studio.

Me and Jitu went in another room to talk about work, they were coming to offer me tea, water and to make sure that i do not feel the heat. Among all of them I interacted most with Amit Bhaiya there is no sound n his life, but his life is full of art. He hears and talks the voice of art. He showed me his language and call his sketches ‘Indian Sign language’. Pintoo Bhaiya is a photographer, there is no voice in his life but he captures most amazing moments and diverse ways of life. Amit Bhaiya wanted to make my sketch, but I was too excited about whole enviorment I was surrounded by and it was not really easy for me to sit unmoving :P and as a result, my sketch was over sketched and I realised how bad I can look at times :P and that showed how amazing artist he was, he sketched every nerve on body, every scar, every wrinkle evrything was sketched so deeply and perfectly at the time I was talking and interacting with Jitu.

And then, I had to leave feeling all freshed up. That place was full of such optimism, colors, happiness and what not my all exhaustion got vanished at that colorful gate of Atulyakala.

My words are still less to describe the beauty of that place, one must visit the studio to experience the voice of deaf artists, and beauty of that place