Music From Mud: Exploring the Artistry of Clay Pottery

On 12 – 14 May 2023, the students of the ARTS228 Music from Mud Pottery Course showcased their impressive collection of clay musical instruments at the Atrium of Krea University’s campus. The event drew a diverse crowd of faculty, students, and research fellows, all eager to witness the intricacies of the instruments. From rattles, pellet bells and ocarinas to udu drums, marimbas and panpipes, the display featured a range of aerophones and idiophones, each with its unique sound and design.

Visitors were treated to a demonstration of how each instrument works, the basics of clay, and the art of pottery. The event was a testament to the talent and creativity of the students, who poured their hearts into the making of these beautiful instruments. Posters and pictures of the instruments were also on display, allowing visitors to take a closer look at the remarkable craftsmanship that went into their creations. Overall, it was a delightful celebration of music and art, leaving all attendees inspired and filled with admiration.

The students enrolled in this course have had the opportunity to engage with a new art medium. ‘It was nice to interact with clay and something so earthy and natural,’ says Mallika Sobhrajani, a student from the SIAS Cohort of 2024, and adds that her favourite piece is the amplifier. ‘You do not need to know anything about music, to use it – you can just put your phone in it, and play music. I actually wanted speakers since a long time, and now I have one that I made myself,’ she adds, emphasising the joy of having created an object both aesthetically appealing and of practical use.

Even for those with prior experience in music and instrument-making, the course had a lot to offer in terms of novelty. Anu from the SIAS Cohort of 2024 is a guitar player, and music is an important part of his life. ‘I’ve made instruments before, but not using clay,’ he says. ‘One of the things I enjoyed most was working with the clay and getting the feel for the material. In the academic setting, I have not had much prior experience of working with my hands.’

Producing instruments out of clay requires not only technical skills and creativity, but also the right attitude and perseverance. Soumya Mati, another SIAS student from the 2023 Cohort, shares some of her experience: ‘The panpipe is my favourite instrument because it not only take a lot of skill to make, but it also took a lot of confidence and belief in my abilities. So when it was finally ready, I had this sense of achievement, accomplishment and happiness for having learned something new, unique, which I wouldn’t have got from any other course.’

As a skills course, Music from Mud has given the students an opportunity to experiment with new art forms, to benefit from the interwoven pedagogy which is at the heart of this course, and to maintain their mental wellbeing. Kaveri Bharath, Visiting Faculty at SIAS, and a Course Instructor for the ARTS228 Music from Mud course believes that a practical course such as this one helps students ground themselves. ‘Students at universities have a lot of intellectual matter going in, but they don’t have enough for their hand-eye coordination and for their tactile learning. So a practical course like this is definitely a must. Krea has the whole idea of interwoven learning, and interwoven learning does not get more interwoven than working with clay, because you need to know some geology, some geography, some history, you need to have chemistry and physics on your side, mathematics in calculating the tones and notes, to make the instruments. You have to have all of that, and then also be creative. These students have been fabulous – out of the 27 students who have taken the course, only one had previously worked with clay,’ she says.

These instruments were created in Krea University’s pottery studio. While a number of upgrades are in the pipeline, the establishment the pottery shed on campus is a significant milestone – it is the first arts space that has been commissioned at Krea, specifically for the Global Arts practicums. The project was made possible with the support from the Vice-Chancellor and the Deans, and through the joint efforts from Kaveri Bharath, Visiting Faculty at SIAS, the Campus Development and Campus Operations Teams.

‘A number of people were integrally involved in this project to get it finished on time for the third trimester, under very tight timelines,’ says Dr Sumitra Ranganathan, Divisional Chair, Literature & the Arts, SIAS. ‘Accommodations have been made to ensure that the space is inclusive and accessible, and to ensure the facility’s buildout over a period of time,’ she adds.

Mr Ramakrishnan Durairaj, Assistant General Manager, Operations Team at Krea University, says the pottery studio project is the outcome of joint efforts of many individuals and teams at Krea. ‘Operations Team worked with Campus Development Team, Professor Sumitra Ranganathan, Professor Srajana Kaikini and Professor Kaveri Bharath in finalising the location, the plan and other requirements needed for setting up the the pottery studio. In the later phase, after the construction of the studio was completed, the Operations Team helped in setting up the infrastructure required for the smooth operation of the pottery class,’ he explains.

The Campus Development Team – Mr K S Jaysankkar (Department Head), Mr N Senthil Kumar (Senior Manager), Mr V S Arunachalam, Mr N Siva, and Mr G Vaikundaraj – share a common sentiment of fulfilment and joy at the completion of the pottery studio at Krea. In a joint statement, they say, ‘The thought of bringing up a clay/pottery studio at Krea came with a deep committment of nurturing this age-old practice and helping the students feel closer to the environment. We, the Campus Development Team, immediately recognised a close connection with this art form, since it deals with soil, which is directly tied in with our profession. The pottery studio is a result of much thought, many rounds of discussions, always done collaboratively. This approach helped us overcome a number of challenges, including the tight deadlines. Kudos to our team, to the engineers, staff members, and all the construction labourers who worked tirelessly for many days and nights to finish the work on time. It gives us immense joy to see that this space now serves the student community, and enables them to learn and grow.’

This marks the humble start of a multitude of projects that shall be envisioned and nurtured within the welcoming walls of this pottery studio. Anticipate a delightful array of tales brimming with creativity, artistry and joy.

Five Tips To Sail Through This Summer, Gastronomically

<strong>Five Tips To Sail Through This Summer, Gastronomically</strong>

April is here, and the temperatures are soaring, summer has announced its arrival. As first of our series in offering the Krea community with simple and actionable tips to sail through the summer, we bring to you five commandments from holistic nutritionist,author, and entrepreneur Shiny Surendran.

This summer especially have been predicted to be  intense and taking care of yourself would be important.One good note about this season is we never run out of Vitamin D levels. You might be worried that tanning might be there if you try to get the dose of vitamin D naturally but, to prevent that, you can get the daily dose from the early morning sun. Few of the other tips to manage this burning summer are as follows. 

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Hydration is very essential because due to rise in temperature and humidity, you might be losing a lot of water and electrolytes through sweat. To restore the amount of water lost through sweat, you need to step up your hydration level between 3 to 5 litres. If you are involved in any kind of sports, then your requirements increase furthermore. If you don’t rehydrate yourself, then chances of dehydration symptoms such as poor concentration, lightheadedness, urinary infections, fatigue, and much more can be experienced. The requirements for water can also be met by consuming alternatives such as tender coconut water, fresh fruit juices, diluted buttermilk, rasam, or any infused water.

 2. Eating lighter foods 

Summer season can directly influence the gut. Your body tries to cope the summer by increasing the blood flow which maintains the body temperature. This results in increased blood flow to the intestine as well results in a lot of gastrointestinal discomforts. So, to prevent this. knowing what you should eat is very essential. Avoiding foods that can cause bloating such as foods rich in sugars, dairy and its by-products including cheese and paneer, and any foods with gluten content and improving the consumption of rice, vegetables, fruits, whole meals, legumes can help in reducing the discomfort. 

3. Including plenty of vegetables 

As the risk of dehydration, indigestion and deficiencies for vitamins and minerals increases during summers, eating a variety of vegetables plays a key role. Vegetables not only provide you with essential vitamins and minerals but also helps in meeting your overall fluid requirements as well with the hydration that it has. For example, keerai is a super food as it can give your body with enough iron and folate in addition to helping in hydration. 

4. Including seasonal fruits 

Eating fresh, seasonal fruits are essential as you will be able to enjoy them only during the fruit bearing season. Fruits such as mango, ice-apple, watermelon, kiwi, guava, muskmelon etc can help you to get high amounts of vitamins, mineral and hydration. They not only help in meeting the bodily requirements but also helps to keep your body cool thereby preventing any heat boils from appearing. 

5. Snack smart and avoid unhealthy fats 

As the digestive system is very sensitive during this period, choosing healthy snacks like seasonal fruits, fresh fruit juices, makhana, popcorn (without any toppings), nuts, drinking nut milk such as almond milk or soymilk or coconut milk, etc will have a positive effect. Unhealthy snacking such as deep fried and fatty foods can impact your body in a negative way leading to frequent bowel opening and discomfort, bloating, nausea thereby affecting your daily routine and quality of life. Summer season is a season for a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating the seasonal foods can itself serve the highest benefits for your body. Additionally, taking frequent oil baths, maintaining hygiene, maintain lifestyle by keeping yourself active, sleeping on time and waking up for an early sunshine can all help you to have a good quality of life, improve concentration and have good energy levels overall. 

Eat fit and stay healthy.

About Shiny Surendran

Shiny is an internationally acclaimed sports nutritionist and is the first Indian to be certified with Graduate Diploma in Sports Nutrition by International Olympic Committee. She is a certified Level 2- Kinanthropometrist from ISAK New Zealand and also an accredited Sports Dietitian from Sports Dietitian Association – Australia. With her profound knowledge in the field of sports nutrition, she has helped 100s of athletes globally, both elite players who have participated in top International Championships as well as young budding athletes, optimize their athletic performance. With her specialisations in sports nutrition, preventive nutrition, Kinanthropometry and Nutrigenomics has helped high profile athletes, celebrities from film industry and several individuals deal with a wide range of nutrition related health problems including competitive athletes and recreational athletes obesity, PCOS, diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, digestive disorders, infertility, food allergies etc.

‘All Things Under the Sun – Week 2, March 2023’

<strong>‘All Things Under the Sun – Week 2, March 2023’</strong>

In the context of International Women’s Day, we present to you a compilation of compelling narratives, from across publications, on women and the spaces they occupy in society

The President’s subtle calls for policy changes reverberate through power corridors-Read More

The missing Indian women essayists-Read More

Starting in the middle of the 19th century, they laid the foundation from which gender equality would enter the Indian consciousness -Read More

This Women’s Day, the entertainment business can perhaps make a pledge to do away with character stereotypes that have no place in 2023-Read More

Photo Essay: Bridging the Digital Gender Divide in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot-Read More

International Women’s Day 2023: History, marches and celebrations-Read More

On International Women’s Day, septuagenarian Sunalini Menon talks about foraying into the male-dominated world of Indian coffee more than 50 years ago-Read More

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week One, Mar 2023

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week One, Mar 2023<br>

For years now, we have all been saying there’s so much to read and so little time, right? But every year, we hope to return to what we love doing the best – to read. So, as part of All Things Under the Sun that we recently kicked off, we present to you a compilation of this week’s best news/features thoughtfully sourced from across publications from across the country and the world, to make your weekend worth it! We hope to cover ground and raise a toast to best reads that are often also about the best writing! Stay tuned and watch this space!

We often expect our friendships to be easy—but sometimes, a breakup is inevitable. This piece suggests how to identify a friendship that has run its course-Read More

. Five image-makers peruse their photographic oeuvres for Vogue India to present portraits of quiet pleasure for a project that captures women in various states of fun and frolic-Read More

For 20 years, Sania Mirza blazed a unique trail through world tennis. This article walks us through her incredible journey to the top of her sport and what lies beyond. -Read More

Movies and shows to watch out for in 2023-Read More

. This piece offers answers to why we can dream in more than one language.-Read More

Another month of books, another month of book covers. This piece offers some favourites from February. -Read More

The burden of undertaking an additional evaluation for algaiarism, that is algorithmic plagiarism, may undermine the evaluation process in many ways. Here’s how: -Read More

All That Breathes: Shaunak Sen’s Oscar-nominated documentary speaks in poetry-Read More

The article throws light on why India’s push to use sugar for fuel may create more problems than it solves. -Read More

Gen Z may be digital natives, but young workers were raised on user-friendly apps – and office devices are far less intuitive, says this piece. -Read More

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week Four, Feb 2023

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week Four, Feb 2023

For years now, we have all been saying there’s so much to read and so little time, right? But every year, we hope to return to what we love doing the best – to read. So, as part of All Things Under the Sun that we recently kicked off, we present to you a compilation of this week’s best news/features thoughtfully sourced from across publications from across the country and the world, to make your weekend worth it! We hope to cover ground and raise a toast to best reads that are often also about the best writing! Stay tuned and watch this space!

How Big Oil Hijacked and Weaponised the Individual Carbon Calculator-Read More

The myth of the ‘compassionate layoff’-Read More

A backlash against overconsumption is spreading fast on social media. Is this the beginning of the end for our rampant, destructive consumer culture – or just influenced by another name? -Read More

Meet the Malayali couple who built a school in East Africa and named it Kerala Block-Read More

BookTok is Good, Actually: On the Undersung Joys of a Vast and Multifarious Platform (BookTok is a subcommunity on the app TikTok, focused on books and literature.)-Read More

Can specialty robusta be as good as arabica? Does it need to be? Are the two even comparable? With climate change impacting the amount of arabica growing in Indian coffee growing regions, many farmers are switching to robusta and innovating with specialty robusta.-Read More

Why would it be so bad if our species came to an end? It is a question that reveals our latent values and hidden fears-Read More

A new wave of Indian start-ups are thinking up innovative ways to deal with the climate crisis. Their tools are artificial intelligence and a whole lot of resolve.-Read More

No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’-Read More

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week 3, Feb 2023

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week 3, Feb 2023

For years now, we have all been saying there’s so much to read and so little time, right? But every year, we hope to return to what we love doing the best – to read. So, as part of All Things Under the Sun that we recently kicked off, we present to you a compilation of this week’s best news/features thoughtfully sourced from across publications from across the country and the world, to make your weekend worth it! We hope to cover ground and raise a toast to best reads that are often also about the best writing! Stay tuned and watch this space!

As future leaders of tomorrow, this article could be insightful for students, shape their perspective and contribute to building a progressive workplace-Read More

This piece unpacks technology’s growing influence on our lives to answer the pressing question — what lies ahead specifically when it comes to our memory?-Read More

India opener Smriti Mandhana made history this week by becoming the most expensive player in women’s cricket. Here’s a profile of the poster girl of the India team. -Read More

Mike Nelson has built a cannabis farm, invented a biker gang, and created an immersive warren of 15 sinister rooms. As he opens a landmark retrospective, the installation artist invites us into his curiosity-crammed studio.-Read More

Mukund Padmanabhan reviews Salman Rushdie’s new book ‘Victory City’.-Read More

In India, AI can potentially fill gaps in mental health services, but how practical is it?-Read More

This human-interest story captures how a doctor and a priest gave life to an Adivasi script-Read More

TM Krishna’s opinion piece-Read More

From her decades studying chimpanzees in the Gombe forest to her more recent years attending to human poverty and misunderstanding, Jane Goodall reflects on the moral and spiritual convictions that have driven her, and what she is teaching and still learning about what it means to be human.-Read More

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week 2, Feb 2023

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week 2, Feb 2023

For years now, we have all been saying there’s so much to read and so little time, right? But every year, we hope to return to what we love doing the best – to read. So, as part of All Things Under the Sun that we recently kicked off, we present to you a compilation of this week’s best news/features thoughtfully sourced from across publications from across the country and the world, to make your weekend worth it! We hope to cover ground and raise a toast to best reads that are often also about the best writing! Stay tuned and watch this space!

Apsara Iyer becomes the first Indian American woman to be President of Harvard Law Review. -Read More

Meet Zalman Farizy, the Kochi delivery person who found a calling in photography. Zalman Farizy takes photos with an Mi A1 phone, gifted by a German artist who recognised his skills in photography.-Read More

Stories from the kaleidoscopic land that is India, the idyll never stops surprising us. People from different parts of the country talk about an interesting aspect, particular to nature/humankind/ in their hometown/village. -Read More

Turkey-Syria Earthquakes: A Seismologist Explains What Happened -Read More

A wellness piece that explores if being calm is about passivity and numbness, or if it is a superpower that makes us strong. Lindsay Baker explores the ideas behind serenity, and ways that we can achieve it.-Read More

Here is a look at everything we know about ChatGPT and its rival chatbots.-Read More

Women’s Premier League 2023 Auction: 10 Players Who Can Spark Bidding Wars-Read More

Perhaps, it’s high time we have deeper conversations and create strategies for the prevention of burnout.-Read More

Unusual Animal Behavior Preceding the 2011 Earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku, Japan: A Way to Predict the Approach of Large Earthquakes-Read More

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week One, Feb 2023

<strong>‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week One, Feb 2023</strong>

For years now, we have all been saying there’s so much to read and so little time, right? But every year, we hope to return to what we love doing the best – to read. So, as part of All Things Under the Sun that we recently kicked off, we present to you a compilation of this week’s best news/features thoughtfully sourced from across publications from across the country and the world, to make your weekend worth it! We hope to cover ground and raise a toast to best reads that are often also about the best writing! Stay tuned and watch this space!

A mammoth reading list you never knew you needed! -Read More

Lithub offers 43 shows and movies to stream and see this year!-Read More

The Delhi Metro is more than a system of public transport: it represents refuge, privacy, freedom, and a slow change in the city’s cultural fabric. This piece walks us through stories from 20 years of the Delhi Metro. -Read More

The Bureau of Linguistic Reality is assembling a new lexicon for people’s experience of climate change. Here’s a list to get you started. -Read More

Despite living in a smart-phone led era of dwindling attention spans, Kerala still seems to indulge in the old-world charm of reading and gathering together to enjoy literature-based conversations-Read More

A study shows that there are two ways that may help in tackling procrastination — setting reminders and envisioning your future self-Read More

With AI doing the rounds on social media, here’s another new update that students might be interested to know -Read More

With the budget being announced, this piece incorporates charts and visual elements to explain it all-Read More

This one’s for the eco-crusaders on the creeks and mudflats of coastal Odisha that are a haven for a variety of birds and reptiles like the saltwater crocodile-Read More

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week Four, Jan 2023

‘All Things Under the Sun’ – Week Four, Jan 2023

For years now, we have all been saying there’s so much to read and so little time, right? But every year, we hope to return to what we love doing the best – to read. So, as part of All Things Under the Sun that we recently kicked off, we present to you a compilation of this week’s best news/features thoughtfully sourced from across publications from across the country and the world, to make your weekend worth it! We hope to cover ground and raise a toast to best reads that are often also about the best writing! Stay tuned and watch this space!

The article unpacks weighty words whose meanings have been sacrificed to hot takes.-Read More

A round-up of Oscar nominations and predictions.-Read More

This article unpacks how little things we do for self-preservation matter, and how the the people of Finland are mastering the art of being happy -Read More

From hostile cops to the loving company of transgender people and sex workers, dancing on the streets of Delhi after sunset opens up many worlds for Deepak Upadhyay. -Read More

As the revolutionary chatbot becomes a global rage, the piece throws up questions on how much technology is too much.-Read More

With this being the season when the little ones visit the shores of Chennai, this piece offers a peek into the life of Olive Ridleys. -Read More

A roundup of the Jaipur Literature Festival for our bibliophiles. -Read More

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, KSCPCR has expanded the proposal in the state of Kerala considering a petition filed by a person on gender-biased greetings in schools.-Read More

This piece highlights how tradition around ‘Halwa Ceremony’ and ‘Bahi Khaata’ Has Evolved.-Read More