Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Visva-Bharati's Kala Bhavana and University of Greenwich sign MoU
An art school in India called Kala Bhavana is teaming up with a university in England called the University of Greenwich.
The two schools signed a special agreement called a memorandum of understanding, which means they will work together and share ideas.
Teachers from England came to visit the art school and are holding art sessions with the students.
The students will learn about each other's art, traditions, and ways of making art.
Kala Bhavana's art is special because it is connected to village life, nature, and the ideas of Rabindranath Tagore, a famous poet who won the Nobel Prize.
The English teachers loved the campus and called it an 'open gallery,' which means it feels like a museum without walls.
The workshops, discussions, and other activities will continue until August 12.
The university also has agreements with schools in Thailand, France, and the Netherlands, so students may get chances to visit those countries.
Kala Bhavana is part of a university that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.
Visva-Bharati University's Kala Bhavana and the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom have signed an MoU to promote academic and artistic exchange between students and faculty.
Sessions began last week at Kala Bhavana's Nandan Art Gallery in Santiniketan and will continue until August 12.
University of Greenwich Design Department professors David McDowell Waterworth and Ian Thompson are conducting sessions on artistic practices with Kala Bhavana students.
Kala Bhavana Principal Shisir Sahana said the exchange will let students from England learn from artistic practices tied to the rural environment and Rabindranath Tagore's ideas, while Visva-Bharati students gain knowledge of English art practices.
Kala Bhavana, associated with artists like Nandalal Bose, is part of Visva-Bharati, founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.
- Who
- Visva-Bharati University's Kala Bhavana and the University of Greenwich (based in London), represented by professors David McDowell Waterworth and Ian Thompson.
- What
- Signed a memorandum of understanding for academic and artistic exchange, including workshops, discussions and exchange of artistic ideas.
- When
- Reported on August 10; sessions began the previous week and continue in Santiniketan until August 12.
- Where
- Kala Bhavana's Nandan Art Gallery, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India.
- Why
- To let students and faculty of both institutions learn from each other's artistic practices and traditions.
- Agreement
- MoU between Kala Bhavana (Visva-Bharati) and University of Greenwich for academic and artistic exchange
- Venue
- Nandan Art Gallery, Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan
- Programme Period
- Began last week; continues till August 12
- Greenwich Professors
- David McDowell Waterworth and Ian Thompson (Design Department)
- Kala Bhavana Principal
- Shisir Sahana
- Visva-Bharati
- Founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921; UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023
- University of Greenwich
- Established in 1890; based in London, United Kingdom
- Other MoU Partners
- Institutions in Thailand, France and the Netherlands