Crayons splayed across the floor, paint splattered across the canvas, and families sitting in little circles, each with a paper and pencil in their hands and mixed expressions on their faces. Those were the scenes that unfolded at Colorothon 2015, organised by Breathe Entertainment.
Founded by Kishore Joseph and Ahmed Shariff, Colorothon, which has previously been held in Bangalore and Delhi, was held in the city recently at Valluvar Kottam. Colorothon, which is a forum for amateurs and professionals to come together and paint or draw, saw participants bring along their families and friends too. “It aims to create a platform for people from all walks of life to come together, regardless of age. We invite people to be led by their imagination, and just enjoy creating art together,” said Ahmed Shariff, co-founder, Colorothon.Many parents and grandparents, who attended the event along with children, confessed that they had picked up a drawing pencil after 20 or 30 years. “I saw many parents also trying their hand at drawing,” said Sanjay Bhattacharya, who accompanied his daughter to the event. Most of them re-visited the joy of drawing, which they had forgotten after their childhood. “It was nice to see all of them completely absorbed in what they were drawing,” says Sushila. Youngsters present seemed to equally enjoy the unique experience. “Art is my hobby,” explains Keerthana, a second-year college student who attended the event with her cousins, “Usually, such competitions are only for kids but this is a chance for everyone to express their creativity.”
For those who loved the arts, Colorothon was not just an opportunity to express themselves, but also to have fun. “Usually, families go out to the beach or a restaurant together, but this event provided a fun weekend get-together where we can teach the children while we are learning ourselves,” says Mohammed Kareem. Besides art and colour, the event hosted several other activities as well, such as letting participants enjoy the drum circle, stand-up comedy, magic shows and watching professional artists live at work.
500 best paintings that were collected during the event will be auctioned and the proceeds donated to the Aruwe Foundation. “I saw a grandfather accompanying his grandson to the event and they completely enjoyed drawing together. It was such a beautiful sight,” says Shariff.
