Thiruvananthapuram: Third edition of the six-day Kalapila Summer Camp for school students, jointly organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and Kerala Arts and Crafts Village, commenced at the Crafts Village at Vellar near Kovalam on Tuesday.Around 120 children in the age group of 5 to 16 are attending the camp, which combines creativity, culture and fun. ‘Kalapila’ is an initiative designed to foster creativity, innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset among children. Marking the inauguration of the camp, a huge replica of a slate, traditionally used as a tablet on which children scribble letters, designed by eminent artist Parag Pantheerankavu, was installed at the venue. The participating children began their day by drawing pictures on the slate, giving free expression to their creativity. A puppetry show led by Pantheerankavu and a theatre workshop led by Vipin Das Parappanangadi and Jithu Kodakkadu provided a novel experience for children on the first day. Kerala Arts and Crafts Village chief operating officer T U Sreeprasad said the participants will be offered a robotics workshop, pottery, kalarippayattu, music, craft workshops and a community visit in the coming days. This camp goes beyond conventional vacation activities by integrating art, craft, skill, creativity and entrepreneurship, nurturing individuality and innovation in young minds. It features workshops and interactive activities by promoting problem-solving, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking, the organisers said. KSUM, which was established in 2006, works for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.
