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Spiny
Babbler, in association with Friends of Sankhu, held a series of
arts and research related activities culminating in the Sankhu Arts
Heritage Festival over the weekend to highlight the historical importance
of the township to the Kathmandu Valley and the rest of the nation.
A survey
of the heritage sites was undertaken and ten sites had been identified
two months in advance by Spiny Babbler researchers. Over a period
of two months, among the activities that were held was a teacher's
workshop for three VDCs on the cultural and architectural heritage
of the area.
Teachers
were given ideas on how to research, document, and present heritage
sites through written, drawn or painted, and sculpted means. A workshop
for students followed in which Spiny Babbler members assigned a
heritage site each to gender-balanced student groups involving village
elders and women.
According
to festival coordinator, Andrew Garnett, "They were asked to
implement what they had learned at the workshop: research the site
they had been assigned to, draw four pictures of the site from different
angles, write an essay on the site covering its history, legends,
and social significance, map the site, and prepare to create three
dimensional sculpted miniature replicas using locally available
material of the site."
Several
key issues were raised and targeted during the two month period.
According to Para Limbu, Chairperson of Spiny Babbler, "Social
barriers cross-cutting status, gender, age, and competition were
addressed and teachers and students reported increased awareness,
expression, teamwork, and activity at the community level."
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