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Shillong: Assam Rifles Public School (ARPS), Laitkor, Shillong hosted the first-ever Empathy Art Festival in collaboration with Project Empathy, marking a unique effort to bring empathy into school education through art and creative expression.
The festival, held on April 24 and 25, brought together students from 42 ARPS institutions, with delegations from all seven northeastern states participating. Each team included 8 students from classes VI to XII and two teachers, coming together to explore and express empathy through writing, visual art, and performance.
Children participated in activities like writing postcards and poetry, creating individual and graffiti-style artworks, and performing street plays (Nukkad Natak) and group poetry recitations. These creative expressions aim to spark kindness, compassion, and a deeper understanding of others.
The organizers shared that awards will be given in categories like Most Heartfelt Message, Young Voice of Empathy, Spirit of Collaboration, and Voice of Hope and Healing. Every student will be acknowledged for their contribution.
Speaking about the initiative, Vibha Lakhera, Founder of Project Empathy and President of ARWWA, said the event is more than just an art show—it’s about celebrating inclusion, resilience, and kindness. The goal is to build emotionally strong and socially aware individuals from a young age.
The event was graced by well-known personalities including Dr. Naomi Bhuyan, Kavita Pandey, Dr. Auswyn Winter Japang, Bryan Dunlee Wahlang, Oliver Wendell Lyndeman, and Kyrshanborlang Marbaniang. Parents, officials, and members of the public also joined in to support and witness this unique celebration.
The Empathy Art Festival marks a major step towards integrating emotional learning into the mainstream curriculum of Assam Rifles Public Schools, making classrooms places not only of knowledge, but of compassion and connection.
