Children's brush with art...

FIFTY paintings with a difference will go on show at the Bahrain Arts Society, off the Budaiya Highway, today.

The two-day exhibition features the works of children with special needs from the Sneha Recreation Centre.

It is being entitled Beyond Creativity and is being organised by the Indian Ladies Association (ILA), which runs the centre for children with special needs of all nationalities.

The show will be jointly opened by Indian Ambassador Bhaskar Kumar Mitra and Turkish Ambassador Hilal Baskal.

Sneha co-ordinator Meera Kamath said the artworks, which will be exhibited, have been painstakingly put together by the Sneha children as part of their Assisted Art Programme.

"The main aim of this is to offer youngsters a creative outlet and improve their hand-eye co-ordination," she said.

"Every year we select the best creations and transform them into greeting cards, which are sold to companies and individuals as part of Sneha's mega fund-raiser.

"It is a good feeling when the youngsters work hard and do something for themselves. The satisfaction which we get is beyond what words can explain," said Ms Kamath.

ILA president Thanuja Anil said the artworks go beyond creativity - as they represent the spirit of children who overcome their disabilities to share their vision of the world.

"For the previous two years, we have been presenting some of these paintings to VIP visitors and special guests at the centre," she said.

"Many well-wishers expressed an interest in buying these creations and hence we came up with this idea of organising an open exhibition for all."

Alongside the exhibition and sale, the ILA will also formally launch the Sneha Sunshine Donation Scheme.

"Under this scheme, individuals wishing to take part in Sneha's activities can do so by contributing to specific areas such as outings for children, art supplies for the programme, funding expenses incurred in running the centre for a day and medical checks for children," said Ms Anil.

"This scheme is open to all, whether they are organisations or individuals."

For more information, contact Ms Anil on 36310050 or Ms Kamath on 39240695.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 6pm to 9pm tonight and from 10am to 9pm tomorrow. Entrance is free and all are welcome.

It will be open to the public from 6pm to 9pm tonight and from 10am to 9pm tomorrow. Entrance is free and all are welcome.