Abhishek Kumar

A productive atmosphere for learning

The course content, practices, facilitation, and classroom processes were well-planned to provide a productive atmosphere for learning.

Both the administrative and policy aspects of the arts were addressed to offer an overall understanding of conceiving the arts in a holistic way.

A supportive environment

One of the best features was the interaction with the course leader. He understood the needs of students, created supportive channels for communication, and provided space for open-ended inquiry.

He always ensured we felt comfortable, enabling us to contribute to developing learning tools or adapt quickly to new plans.

Engaging with external organisations

The third day of the week was usually scheduled for visits to various organisations. I found this particularly meaningful, given the nature of the degree.

My research, Expression of Cultural Identity through Arts (later published), involved studying two unique schools of theatre practice in the UK that address or advocate South Asian sensibilities and interpret issues of identity.

I also completed a short internship with Pan Intercultural Arts, working on the administrative aspects of an arts organisation and their initiatives with refugees and victims of torture.

Favourite spots on campus

The library was my favourite spot on campus—a beautiful glass building that felt both inspiring and welcoming. I discovered so many remarkable works of literature there, and the audiovisual section was especially captivating.

Valuable lessons

The beauty of this study lies in its global perspective. It allows you to view things from a higher vantage point. For me, the most unique aspect was how it expanded my way of seeing and understanding the world.

It helped me develop both open-ended and in-depth thinking processes.

Across all three areas—the aesthetic, social, and commercial—it encouraged me to view the arts beyond the boundaries of artistic creativity, connecting them to broader social and cultural goals through a practical and sustainable approach.

Life after Goldsmiths

I work as an educator, researcher, and theatre practitioner based in Delhi, and lead the education programmes at Humana People to People India.

I have recently published my book “Cultural Practices of Traditional Philosophical Knowledge in Mithila’ written as part of Tagore National Scholarship awarded by Ministry of Culture (India).

My present quest is the application of arts and creative-critical pedagogy in education as well as the development of discursive theatre. I work with various stakeholders.

I would like to continue my work with community folk artists with whom I have worked on their content, styles, and motifs to tell their stories in a modern context. I’d like to explore the discursive theatre using the elements of forum theatre. The journey of my work in education will be continued.

I am trying to explore an arts-based constructive, creative and critical pedagogical system in education. I work with teachers, children, teacher educators and education officials.

Looking at the scale and intensity of the work, I position my thoughts and experiments aligned with the mainstream debate of education and have adopted the context of education for my artistic work and tried to assimilate with the necessary requirements.

Advice for future students

I would suggest three things:

• Enjoy every moment—embrace the Goldsmiths culture and the open space it offers for exploration.
• Make the most of the liberal and dialogic atmosphere in the classroom. Engage, question, and share your ideas freely.
• Cultivate a global perspective—something I found deeply embedded in the Goldsmiths approach to education.