Art and Literature Fest: The Poetry of Life
By Aadya Tyagi (Grade 11)
The Art and Literature Fest 2025 began on the day India celebrated her 79th Independence Day. The Independence Day Assembly opened with a heartfelt recitation of one of Rabindranath Tagore’s poems, “Let My Country Awake” by Amrit and other literature students from Grades 11 and 12. Subsequently, Zoya performed a moving rendition of a poem from ‘Letters from Gaza’ was followed by performance of Hindi translations of Nehru’s iconic speech, ‘A Tryst With Destiny’, and Nelson Mandela’s ‘I Am Prepared to Die’, by Shaurya and Prithvi from Grade 10. The assembly ended with a few Marathi songs and a Sanskrit chant by the junior classes.
The assembly presented us with a chance to celebrate and cherish our independence, and explore the themes of independence and freedom from different perspectives from all over the world.
The following day, the day of the Art and Literature Fest, the assembly featured several engaging performances. Amongst them were monologues, inspired by the poem ‘Haunted Houses’, by the Grade 10, and Telang Sir’s lecture and demonstration of tabla.
After the assembly, there were some workshops held for the junior classes, but for the most part, people were free to explore the art work showcased by the students.
The Art Room was a feast for the eyes, showcasing work from every grade in a vibrant celebration of creativity. It also housed a very interesting exhibition about the story of a lost umbrella.
There were also some impressive interactive displays, like Blackout Poetry, which is a type of found poetry where a poet selects words from an existing text, such as a page from a book or newspaper, and then blacks out all the other words to reveal a new poem formed by the remaining text, and Push-pin Poetry, using an assortment of words and phrases cut from old magazines, and thumb tacks and push pins, pinning new meaning into old titles and slogans. From junior school’s poetry about shapes, to the Macbeth illustrations by Grade 12, every student participated in some way or the other.
Overall, the Art and Literature Fest was an exhilarating, thought-provoking, and joyful celebration of creativity and liberty. It reminded us of the enduring power and beauty of words, and their ability to connect and inspire people.