‘Start with Art’- A National Workshop on Calligraphy, Digital Art and Packaging was thrown open today at the Dept. of Applied Art, Institute of Music & Fine Arts (IMFA), University of Jammu, Jammu to celebrate the 75th Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. An inaugural function was organized on this occasion where Dr. Ravi Shanker Sharma, Director School Education, Jammu was the Chief Guest, Sh. Ashwani Kumar, President, Press Club of Jammu & former Bureau Chief of Aaj Tak was the Guest of Honour and Sh. Sat Sharma, Former Cabinet Minister of J&K presided over the function. A cultural program, consisting of a Sitar recital by Sh. Sunil Raina (HoD Sitar dept.), Vocal Performance by Sh. Suraj Singh (HoD Vocal dept.), Violin recital by Sh. Bahadur Singh (HoD Violin dept.) and Saraswati Vandana by the students of Vocal Dept. was presented. Forty students of IMFA and three teachers of the Directorate of School Education, Jammu are participating in the program.

Prof. Shohab Inayat Malik, Principal, IMFA formally welcomed the guests. He gave a brief of the six days program being undertaken under the supervision of Sh. Gagandeep Singh from Chandigarh, Sh. George Emmanuel from Lovely Professional University, Phagwara (Pb.) and Sh. Amandeep Singh from Jammu who are experts in their respective fields, viz. Calligraphy, Digital Art and Packaging.

In his Presidential address, Sh. Sat Sharma appreciated the Faculty members, particularly Dept. of Applied Art, and the Principal, IMFA for conducting such programs. He said that art & culture have been given a great emphasis in the new education policy and it should be given due attention to impart training in the educational system at all levels.

While speaking on this occasion, Dr. Ravi Shanker Sharma said that the School Education regularly conducts several programs of imparting training in the field of art and culture, and the department may consider preparing an MoU with IMFA, University of Jammu to execute such programs collectively.

Sh. Ashwani Sharma emphasized the need of taking care of the emerging technologies in the field of education, art and culture, with the help of information & technology available on various digital platforms.

The workshop is being conducted under the overall supervision of Sh. Rakesh Sharma (HoD Applied Art dept.), Dr. Amarjeet Singh and Ms. Vaneeka Gupta, Faculty of Applied Art dept., IMFA.

 The prominent among others who attended the program included Ms. Neelam Kumari (Corporator, Ward No. 40), Sh. Sanjeev Baru (Corporator, Ward No. 41), Prof. T.S. Batra (former Principal, IMFA), Dr. Sunil Khosa, (former HoD Art History & Aesthetics dept., IMFA), Sh. Jang S. Verman (Senior Artist & Columnist on Art & Culture), Smt. Jistinder Kour, Sh. Vikram Jain, Sh. Rajesh Badgotra and others.

Vote of Thanks was extended by Sh. Rakesh Sharma, HoD, Applied Art dept., IMFA, University of Jammu.