Success Stories of some Arts for India Scholars

Arts for India was launched in 2010 at London, one of the prime objectives was to support the creatively aspiring students from economically underprivileged families to study for a professional art & design degree programme at IIFA through Four Year Full Fee Scholarship Programme.  While the AFI was launched in 2010, yet the scholarships from the philanthropic sponsors were only available for students enrolled for the academic session of 2011-12  to the 4-Year Bachelor of Fine Art Degree programme.  First year of the Scholarship Programme benefitted 10 students who have graduated in 2015.  The second batch of 6 students has graduated in 2016.  Majority of these students have been supported by IIFA in creative jobs with related industries.  Some have opted for internships and some others have been selected for Masters Programme at other Univer­sities.  Some of them have made IIFA, AFI & their sponsors proud by being recruited by related business houses.  We give hereunder, the briefs of some such successful AFI beneficiaries.

A) Bindu Vishwa Karma – Sponsor – Mr. Izzat Majeed

Bindu was an exceptional talent with equal amount of attraction towards creativity as well as pure science.  Though she had secured distinction (75% and above) in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics in her School Board Examinations, yet she wanted to learn Art.  She had joined a formal B.Sc. Course at Gonda – her native place, as her mechanic father could not have supported her desire to study art at a professional College.  However, her urge to study art was fulfilled by Arts for India’s Full Fee Scholarship Programme and she enrolled as one of the first batch beneficiary of Arts for India’s Scholarship Scheme in 2011 and graduated in year 2015.

Bindu was a very dedicated student and always excelled in class assignments as well as in University’s Examination.

After graduation, she did  an internship with ‘Walter Thompson’ – a globally reputed advertising agency and is now employed with ‘Ogilvy Advertising’ a globally renowned organization.  She is presently working as an Assistant Creative Director.  The Scholarship has affected a sea change in her life.  This scholarship has helped Bindu to become a successful creative artist.

B) Udita Mittal – Sponsor – Mr. Andrew Galloway

Udita hailed from Aligarh, where her father was a Cloth Vendor and sold small pieces of Cloth.  Udita from her childhood, exhibited exceptional talent in creative works especially in stringing together colourful cloth  pieces into wall hangings and dresses for dolls.  However, after Schooling, she faced a dilemma as she knew that the earnings of her father were very meager and barely enough to sustain the family.  Udita wanted to be a fashion designer.  While she qualified for admission to IIFA’s academic session of 2010 but her parents found the costs of study at  IIFA prohibiting.  Arts for India was not launched till then.  So Udita was forced to join a certificate course available locally.  However, in year 2011, she learnt about the Scholarship Scheme and qualified for admission at IIFA as one of the first batch of Arts for India’s Scholarship Scheme beneficiaries and graduated in year 2015.

Udita has now joined as Assistant Faculty – School of Fashion Design at Aligarh Muslim University and from all reports – she is a well respected junior faculty.

C) Disha Madan – Sponsor – Mr. James Wilcox

Disha hailed from Saharanpur and is the daughter of a commission agent at the local Vegetables wholesale market.

Disha was very creatively focused since her childhood.  Disha enjoyed decorating her home, during festivities, using in expensive waste materials.  She also helped her School Art Team in beautifying the Campus.  Disha wished to study for a professional degree course from a reputed art institution.  She qualified for admission to Banaras Hindu University but her parents did not wish to send her so far away. She, then read an advertisement in a national news paper about a study opportunity at IIFA on a Full Fee Scholarship programme of Arts for India in year 2011.  She qualified the creative aptitude test and received confirmation of her scholarship from Mr. James Wilcox – a U.K. based philanthropist.  She graduated in year 2015.

While graduating in 2015, she was recruited by Tata Consultancy Services along with, 3 other IIFA students for their Creative Designs.  Today Disha is a member of TCS’s elite creative team.  She has made IIFA & her family proud.

D) Deepa Choudhury – Sponspor – Ms. Aisha Caan

Deepa had lost her father when she was barely a month old and had a childhood without any toys.  She spent her childhood in the muddy backyards of her house, drawing scribbles and whatever came to her mind.  Her widowed mother operated a manual grinder to ground flour from wheat for the neighbours.

Deepa opted for Drawing as a subject even for her XII Board Examinations and secured Distinction in Drawing. While at School, she was one who always participated in beautifying the premises.  Deepa too could ill afford to join a professional art & design degree programme, after Schools.  But then in the Summer of 2011, she learnt about the Arts for India’s Scholarship Programme for studies at IIFA. She qualified the Aptitude Test and her sponsor was Ms. Aisha Caan from U.K. She graduated in 2015.

Today Deepa is an Assistant Creative Artist with ‘SOL’ Advertising Agency.  Her mother is so relieved now and IIFA is proud of her achievements.

E) Prashant Jha – Sponsor – Mr. Subodh Agarwar

Mr. Parshant Jha from Modinagar is the son of a handicapped art teacher.  His father, though handicapped by two polio affected legs, underwent a 5-year Diploma in Fine Art from College of Art, Patna.  Since he has to be physically carried or moved in a wheelchair, his art aspirations were affected.  He earns his livelihood by teaching art drawing classes to students in schools.  His younger son Parshant exhibited signs from his childhood of being a very creative child.  As a child also Parshant tried to draw and sketch objects he saw around himself.

Parshant always wanted to express himself creatively through crafting waste materials.  However lack of finances forced him to be careful with his colours, brushes and other study materials.  Despite securing good marks Parshant had no hope to study for BFA Degree at IIFA.  His father also felt sad that he could do nothing to help the aspirations of his son.  It was in the month of May 2011 that they came to know about Arts for India’s “Mentoring Scholarship” programme at IIFA.  Thereafter Parshant applied for the admission to the 4-Year BFA Degree Programme at IIFA and successfully attained the required norms at the aptitude tests.  His portfolio of works was also impressive and he was a promising art talent who justified the award of the mentoring scholarship. He graduated in 2015.  Even while he was in his final year of studies, many of his paintings were exhibited at AFI Events at London & New York.  After graduation, he first worked as a free-lance artist.  His talent was spotted and now he is a full time ‘Creative Artist’ at “Full Picture Art” – a multinational art organization.

 

Arts for India’s Full Fee Scholarship Programme Beneficiaries