FLAME Photography Club (FPC) is a student run initiative where photo shoot meets fun. And the children of Bal Bhavan become the muse of the FLAME photographers for their upcoming exhibit ‘Inner Child’.
FLAME Bal Bhavan is a place where children go to play, grow and learn. The idea behind FPC Inner Child stems from recreating memories from our good ol’ days. In a generation where the young population spends their time and days, heads down with their fingers tapping impatiently on rectangular screens, FPC Inner Child brings a breath of fresh air. Additionally, this initiative aims to give recognition to the Bal Bhavan kids. Instead of putting up a still photo shoot, these students have decided to make it more fun by organizing games from the past and shooting the little ones in action because nothing surpasses a perfect candid picture. Freezing heartwarming moments to going back in time, reminiscing the days bygone will hit the realization of how far we’ve come in life.
Being adults can be boring because we can’t play hide and seek or hopscotch anymore, or so we think. Portraying childhood stories in pictures with these children not only give them acknowledgement but also takes us back in time. Remember the days when we used to play cricket and the ball accidentally falls on the angry neighbour’s garden, and how your friends used to coerce you into retrieving that ball. The thrill of those moments are powerful enough to last a lifetime.
Interaction is the key where FPC Inner Child is not just about using the children as models but also giving them an opportunity to have fun with the people on campus. This initiative did not spring as an idea for a day. These students have been on it for over a year interacting with the children in Bal Bhavan once a week singing, dancing and teaching them new things. During special occasions like Diwali, Independence Day or Christmas, FLAME students include them as a part of the celebrations on campus to create a sense of belongingness.
FPC Inner Child’s exhibition is going to be an amalgamation of the student’s as well as the Bal Bhavan children’s’ childhood stories slated for the 23rd and 24th of February, 2017.
"Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun." Mignon McLaughlin