BACKGROUND

Dasho Choki Dorji had the idea of starting a private traditional art school. He has served the government for the last 40 years by promoting art and culture and was the head of the Painting Department of the National Painting School and initiated many programs within the department. It was during his tenure in the early 1970s that the first formal Painting School in Bhutan was established with the approval of Her Royal Highness Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck, then the representative of His Majesty in the Ministry of Development. This is how the school has been benefiting from Dasho’s rich experience and expertise.

RATIONALE

The rich cultural heritage which is the basis of our Bhutanese identity, values and sovereignty has been handed down from generation to generation and kept alive even in times of rapid technical developments.

However, times have changed and are changing. In the past, our children learned from their parents. Girls were taught spinning, dying and weaving by their mothers. Sons were taught to carve, treadle lathe for turning bowls, sculpturing and drawing and painting. Unfortunately many young people today have little knowledge of the skills of their parents or grandparents. Nor do they see the importance or relevance of these skills to themselves in a new Bhutan, where videos and computers represent contemporary cultural values and white color jobs are the aspiration of most students. This struggle for white color jobs and  the limited availability of jobs are discouraging to young people and make them dissatisfied, aimless and create all sorts of social problems.

By teaching and promoting the traditional skills of Bhutan we have the potential to create jobs. Zorig Chusum (Thirteen Crafts) can provide a real source of income and employment. Bhutan cannot produce cheap garments, factory products or assemble watches and computers. Bhutan’s distinct advantage lies in its unique culture and in the crafts which the Bhutanese can produce better than anyone else.

Many of our children drop out of school or are not even admitted because  parents cannot afford it. We feel that neglecting such young people will create more problems, which are already becoming more prominent in the society. Therefore, to help interested children with such backgrounds we have opened the school and provide food, lodging and tuition.

The establishment of the school will help to solve some of the employment related problems as the graduates from the school will be able to earn their livelihood by producing handicraft items which are traditionally and culturally Bhutanese and which have substantial commercial value.