Taxila Vidyalaya hosted a colourful children’s art festival in the capital on Saturday, bringing together young artists in a celebration of creativity, imagination and self-expression.

The school campus came alive with the Art Festival 2026, themed “Culture Is the First Sunrise of Awakening”, organised by the social organisation 27 Dhanmondi in partnership with Tokshoshila School.

Parents, teachers and invited guests gathered at Tokshoshila School in the capital on Saturday to witness young minds at work.

Designed to nurture creativity, imagination and a love of the arts among children, the festival drew students from Grade One through Grade Ten, representing more than ten educational institutions across Dhaka.

From early morning, the campus buzzed with the chatter and energy of children. The festival opened with a rendition of Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless song “Amader Bhoy Kahare” (“What Do We Have to Fear”), performed jointly by the young artists and guests.

The main event followed: a painting competition for the young artists, divided into three age-based categories, each built around its own theme.

Category A, for students in Grades One through Three, centred on the theme “Bangladesh Painted in the Heart.” Category B, for Grades Four through Six, explored “Immortal Figures in My Art.” Category C, for Grades Seven through Ten, took on the theme “A Big Pledge in Small Hands.”

Across all three groups, the paintings offered a striking window into how children of different ages envision their country, its history and its future.

Nadimul Islam, principal of Tokshoshila School, said children who pick up a brush are not simply drawing a picture; they are finding a language to express their inner thoughts, dreams and love for their country.

He added that the school wants its students to master that language beyond the confines of textbooks, noting that a truly humane person cannot be shaped without exposure to art and culture—a conviction, he said, that has long guided Tokshoshila School’s involvement in such initiatives.

Fazlul Kabir Tuhin of 27 Dhanmondi, the event’s organiser, said children represent the country’s future and that the Bangladesh they painted in colour today is the same Bangladesh they will one day be responsible for building.

He said the goal was to give every child the courage to express their thoughts through creativity, adding that genuine cultural practice is what can truly lead a nation towards awakening.

Certificates and gifts were presented to every participating child by celebrated artists Monirujjaman, Kirity Ranjan Biswas and Shamsul Alam Azad.

Five students from each category—fifteen in total—received special recognition awards. The joy on the young artists’ faces as they collected their prizes was a reminder that creative recognition matters deeply, regardless of age.