There is a proven link between art and children’s cognitive development, critical thinking, confidence and overall performance in school.
Hassan Mujtaba Zaidi visited schools in a low-income suburb of Lahore and unlike schools in high income areas, was struck by the lack of resources for art lessons. Art can be important for improving the quality of learning for children. Mujtaba founded Discovering New Artists (DNA) to promote access to quality education and inclusiveness through art.
“I believe art has the power to make a collective positive change in this world through children’s outlook on the future – and the future is now.”
Hassan Mujtaba
DNA works with children from under resourced schools. DNA runs the Art for Change Atelier (TAFCA) programme to help bridge the education gap for marginalised children aged 4-18.
Through TAFCA children utilise their strengths, discover their identities, find meaning in the community and explore world connections. They develop creativity, open-mindedness, and confidence to present solutions to global issues through art.
DNA is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QCT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years.
With QCT’s support since March 2022, DNA has been able to:
Establish and run TAFCA workshops where children experience a vibrant environment with new forms of learning on a diverse scale
Run the TAFCA programme in 30 under resourced schools impacting over 400 students
Enhance knowledge of the UN SDGs for 93% of TAFCA workshop participants surveyed
“The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) has been a game-changer in our journey towards capacity development at DNA. Their support has surpassed any other fellowship or grant, empowering us to establish robust monitoring and evaluation processes that have transformed our ability to deliver impactful results. QCT’s unwavering commitment to our mission has elevated our organisation and accelerated our positive impact in ways we couldn’t have imagined.”
Hassan Mujtaba
Future work supported by QCT in 2023:
DNA’s aims to enrol more under resourced schools and students in its TAFCA programme by the end of 2023.
