“The highest mode of corruption is the abuse of power.” – Auliq Ice
The exhibition of artworks created by us, the key stage 3 (Grades 8 to 12) students of Riverside School, is our attempt to portray the many thoughts, ideas and questions that run through our mind when we think about abuse. But these ideas and thought processes trace back to a larger ideology.
The core idea of this experience was one that dates back to the very first batch of ‘Riverside School’ who initiated the अब-USE campaign, one that promotes a timely (“अब” or “now”) use of one’s power rather than the abuse of power. The idea does not remain forgotten; its legacy remains in practice at Riverside in the form of the tradition of Prom, an annual formal dance night meant for us to build comfort and respect across genders, and as a reminder, for us to “अब-USE” our power. However, the possibility of Prom this year was restricted by the nature of the pandemic, and slow dancing on a Zoom call didn’t seem to be the desired alternative. However, Prom season at Riverside did not pass without a tribute to the अब-USE philosophy. Instead, we only saw a greater need for it has been witness to the rising statistics of domestic abuse and sexual harassment during the lockdown.
The process emerged from a series of conversations between Kiran ma’am and a group of male representatives of the key stage, focusing on the importance of male support and understanding to stand up to abuse- that although girls can empower themselves, the existence of an empowered society relies also on boys’ अब-USE (appropriate use) of power. However, harassment is not exclusive to females, and respect is not divided by gender. Thus, continuing the conversations with female representatives included, and having constant back-and-forths with the rest of the students, we directed our focus to gain empathy through further exposing ourselves to the issue, and building our awareness.
This awareness-building began as we were introduced to a Nigerian foundation focused on empowering adolescent girls who have been victims of or are threatened by an unsafe environment. The foundation promoted artistic expression of the distressing experiences suffered by girls. Viewing their artwork left us deeply moved. Another grounding experience was listening to the story of harassment suffered by a Riverside team member very close to us all, and it seemed to hit us with the harsh realisation that such stories get buried within smiles and laughter, and yet they linger closer than we expect. Suddenly, rape and abuse weren’t the far-away problems we thought them to be. They exist in the lives of those closest to us – whether we know it or not -, and they exist even in the fear with which every girl walks alone on a street.
However, we could not remain just passive in these realisations, so we chose to draw inspiration from the Nigerian girls whom we had interacted with, and channel our thoughts into art. Although most of us were unexposed to severe situations of abuse, we were posed with a simple question- do you have something to say? And we all did have something to say, because these artworks may not all be from personal stories of abuse; some simply ask a question, “what does abuse feel like?”, some are unfinished thoughts, and some are just a single word: “No.”
#riversideschool #genderabuse #artgallery #aidbees #socialkindness #bekind
