past SCHOOL TRIPS

Kim Bolton, Cambridgeshire, UK

Geography Field Study

Kimbolton School students started their Geography field study in Bengaluru. They explored the rural countryside on cycles visiting farms, brickworks and quarries in the area, looking at the changing nature of the local agricultural area, and how the emerging city of Bengaluru impacts and affects the rural communities. They conducted a transect activity to gain a better understanding of change and development in Bengaluru as they travelled from the rural context to the urban centre. Their exploration of Bengaluru included visits to a garment manufacturer, the flower and vegetable market area, and the modern central shopping district. They looked at contrasting regions of the city, exploring how they are perceived, changing and attached to through the economic and cultural activities occurring in the different regions of the city.

The group then travelled through the Cauvery river basin where they were able to see agricultural and craft communities at work; silk, rice and sugar cane resources sustained by the river basin. They stayed at the royal city of Mysore where they visited palaces, Hindu temples and a silk factory. They visited a waterfowl bird sanctuary and drove on through the forest reserve of Nagarhole. They then travelled to the tropical forest Biome of the western ghats, stayed on a working coffee estate in Coorg, where they trekked the mountain ridges, and visited a waterfall. Their journey in India finished with a drive back to Bengaluru visiting Jain and Buddist the religious sites

Simon Wilson sets out the days activities for his students (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

The students have a go at pottery at the ceramic studio at the Land (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Anthonmary demonstrates her cooking to a group of students (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

On the train to Mysore (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Geared up for wet weather in the tropical forests of Coorg (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

A visit to a garment industry unit where cloths are manufactured for Uk high streets. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

A walk round an agricultural village in the Cauvery river basin. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Cycling through the landscape near Silvepura (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Students practice making rangoli designs at the Land. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

A sports skills session with the girls from Baale Mane. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Francis Parker, San Diego USA

Global studies creative collaborations
Story-telling and story making: learning from and about issues of resource in South India

Since 2013 Francis Parker from San Diego has made 6 trips to India with Stepwell as part of an annual worldwide educational programme which is a central element of the their teaching practice. The trips which have been organised through their art department have involved a series of artistic and creative interventions through which they have worked with local schools under the guidance of master craftsmen in specific local craft traditions. Areas which have been explored include work with leather puppets, pop up books, pottery, textiles including block printing and tie dye. they have also explored dance and performing arts and have been interested in a wider range of subjects like cookery, mehendi etc.

Shrines in the landscape at Hampi (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Steve Cook demonstrates illustration skills to students. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Making tunnel books. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Walking through paddy fields near Hampi. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Travelling between historic sites at Hampi in a rickshaw. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Adding colour to a rangoli pattern at the Land. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Crossing the Tungabhadra at Anegundi in a ferry boat. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

An interactive music session round the stone circle at the Land (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Visiting a community of potters near Ranthambore in Rajasthan. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Practicising a dance drama about the elements at 'Fig Tree' (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

A show with shadow puppets made by the students. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

looking at Silk worms feeding on beds of mulberry leaves in the Cauvery basin area (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Block printing at the Land studios. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Making tie dye T-shirts at the Land. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Learning block printing skills at dastakar Ranthambore. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Looking across the Western Ghats from Coorg towards Wayanad. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

A student practices his yoga skills . (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Trekking in the shola grasslands of Coorg. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Exploring the temples on the rocks of Hampi. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

A boat expedition to see the birds of Ranganathittu. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

In transit at Jaipur airport. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, Hertfordshire.

India Study Tours

Haberdashers begain their annual India programme in 2018 when they brought a group of 18 girls to India with Stepwell. They involved themselves in a collaboration with a local school with whom the school has a partnership run by the Parikrama humanity foundation. Under the guidance of choreographer Anjali Sahi they worked on a dance drama performance piece with a group similar in size and age from their partner school. At the end of an intensive workshop they were able to present their performance to the larger community at the school. During their time in India they were involved in craft work, cookery and visits to the homes of the girls from Parikrama. The students were also able to visit Mysore and to to make a trip to the western ghats visiting many place along the way to understand the broader geography and cultural aspects of the area. They returned

Practising for a dance drama. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Performing a dance drama at the Parikrma school in Sahakarnagar. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Painting pots with the girls of Parikrma school. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Getting to know the Parikrma school girls through interactive games. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Downtime at the Land. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Making henna patterns. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Collaborative pot painting. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Rafi our retriever inspects the student group. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Waiting for our train and Bangalore City station. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

On the train to Srirangapatna. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Learning how Jaggery is made from sugarcane. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Eating a banana leaf meal hosted in a village home. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Exploring the Cauvery river on a boat. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

The Staff of Haberdashers Aske at Shravanabelagola. (Copy) (Copy) (Copy)

Newport Girls High School, Shropshire, UK

India Geography Study visits

Stepwell has developed a close working relation with the geography department of NGHS since 2008 which resulted in a series of school trips to give students a direct first hand understanding of India's geography. The programme is curriculum linked and the students are able to see examples of case studies which they study as part of their syllabus. The trip involves geographical transects, visits to places of special interest where they can see development in progress and understand both the impacts and challenges on the rural and urban community. The students have been able to visit a diverse range of biomes including arid dry landscapes, river basins and tropical forests, taking time in each environment to understand agricultural activities, craft and social structures. Urban Bengaluru and its relation to the rapidly changing landscape of Silvepura on its outskirts has enabled the students to get a fascinating insight into the way in which an agricultural society evolves into an industrial one, and the way that these communities are perceived, attached to and represented, as they change.