"Any Questions?"
an experiment in storytelling
This project aimed at developing subjective reasoning in kids since an early age. To achieve the same, children were told stories that were morally ambiguous and were asked to illustrate on the aspects which appealed to them the most. The project has been done in collaboration with Sarthak Foundation, an NGO based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
The Process
from stories to illustrations
Workshops were held at various centers of the NGO. In the workshops, children told stories and were encouraged to question the characters, their actions, their choices, and anything else they wanted to. After the storytelling sessions, discussions were held about the story, its possible alternate endings, and about the moral questions that they posed.
After that, the children were asked to pick up the aspects that intrigued them the most from the story. They were guided only on the skills and were encouraged to imagine the scenes of the story themselves. This helped them turn their ideas into images.
Designing the book
the hows and the whys
The text has been typeset in Altair, a font which can be read easily by children due to its large x-height, higher contrast, and single-story letters. The illustrations have been kept at the edges so that they do not hinder with the child's reading while the book is being held.
Sarthak Foundation
about the ngo
Sarthak Foundation is a not for profit venture based in Lucknow and is spread across seven centers in the city. It focuses on providing education and adding significance to the lives of children residing in slums, remote areas and at mega construction sites by setting up teaching centers in those areas. The young team of this organization, led by Miss Kshama Hastak, strongly believes in bringing change through education and all the members work towards that goal with utmost dedication, hard work and reverence.
Apart from regular teaching at the centers, frequent workshops are held at each center focusing on the personality development, health, and hygiene of the children. The kids are also taught extra-curricular activities and are regularly counselled. With its continuous hard work and support from some sponsors, Sarthak Foundation has been able to send more than 100 students to mainstream public and private schools till now – the costs of their education being borne by the foundation itself. To find more about the organization and/or support their cause, visit www.sarthakfoundation.org.
