Celebrating Creativity and Community: Co-Curricular Mela at Ashoka University

Co-Curricular (CC) courses at Ashoka University are 2-credit offerings held once a week throughout the semester, designed to help students engage deeply with the worlds of Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Languages. These courses offer a creative space for exploration and expression beyond the traditional academic curriculum. The recent Co-Curricular (CC) Mela, organised at the end of the semester, was a vibrant culmination of this journey, a lively celebration that brought together students, faculty, and visitors through art, performance, storytelling, and collaboration.

The Mela showcased works from more than 20 creative courses under Creative Expressions (CVA), Performing Arts (PAA), and Language and Literature. Students presented what they had explored and created during the semester, ranging from sculpture, storytelling, and dance to photography, music, architecture, and spoken word poetry.

Walking through the Mela felt like travelling through a gallery of diverse imaginations. Each corner was a world of its own: models of imaginative homes, photographs that captured life’s fleeting moments, video projects, poetry installations, and handmade art pieces. These displays shared powerful stories that reflected students’ identities, ideas, and inspirations. From delicate visual journals to bold graffiti expressions, the variety was both expansive and inspiring.

Live performances added vibrant energy to the event. Students from the Odissi and theatre classes moved the audience with emotional performances. Others led participatory workshops in music and storytelling, encouraging visitors to tap into their own creativity. Language classes displayed multilingual literature projects, celebrating cultural diversity through translation and creative writing.

A special aspect of the Mela was how it blurred the lines between academic learning and personal growth. CC courses at Ashoka are designed not just to build skills but to foster reflection on self, society, and the world. They offer spaces for students to challenge their comfort zones, explore unfamiliar modes of expression, and discover new passions.

Faculty members from each CC course actively engaged with visitors, appreciating student work and offering insights into the creative processes behind each project. The Mela also served as an informal platform for students to connect across disciplines, forging bonds through shared artistic exploration. As the semester draws to a close, the Co-Curricular Mela stands as a beautiful reminder of how creativity, collaboration, and community are at the heart of campus life, a celebration of journeys, ideas, and voices coming together.

– Written by Chanda Kumari, ASP 2025