Last Drop - Community Museum of Adambakkam-Nanganallur

Sep 1

2 min read

The Community Museum project emerged from the belief that education can become more meaningful when rooted in the landscapes that students inhabit. Conceived and facilitated by Aram Thinai in partnership with Chirpi Global School, the project adopted a place-based approach to help students understand the ecological and social histories of their own neighbourhoods.

Situated within the Pallikaranai watershed, the landscapes of Nanganallur and Adambakkam were once part of an intricate network of lakes, marshes, agricultural fields, and drainage channels. Rapid urbanisation has transformed these landscapes, resulting in the disappearance of water bodies, fragmentation of ecological systems, and increasing vulnerabilities to flooding. Against this backdrop, the project sought to reconnect students with their immediate environment and encourage them to view familiar spaces through ecological and historical lenses.

The Learning journey:

The learning journey unfolded through three interconnected phases: Orientation, Community Engagement, and Production and Curation.

During the orientation phase, students were introduced to concepts of ecology, climate change, watersheds, and Chennai's bluescapes. Sessions explored the biogeography of the region and the significance of wetlands in maintaining water security and biodiversity. Students learned about catchments, floodplains, marshes, and the interconnected nature of the Pallikaranai wetland system.

The community engagement phase moved learning beyond the classroom. Through a series of field visits and interactions with local residents, resource persons, and community leaders, students explored Veerangal Odai, Adambakkam Lake, Puzhudhivakkam Lake, and the Pallikaranai Marshland. They documented stories of lost lakes, urban expansion, changing livelihoods, and the experiences of communities facing eviction threats. These conversations revealed how ecological transformations are inseparable from questions of memory, justice, and belonging.

In the final phase, students translated their experiences into creative expressions. Through visual arts, filmmaking, and storytelling, they transformed ecological observations and community memories into collective archives. These creative outputs formed the basis of a Community Museum—a living and participatory space that preserves local histories while encouraging dialogue on climate resilience and environmental stewardship.

More than an exhibition, the Community Museum became a process of reclaiming memory and fostering ecological citizenship. By bringing together scientific understanding, oral histories, artistic practice, and community knowledge, the project demonstrated how young people can become active interpreters and custodians of the landscapes they call home. Through this process, Aram Thinai and the students of Chirpi Global School collectively created an archive that celebrates the intertwined histories of wetlands, communities, and urban transformation in South Chennai.

The Last Drop- Community Museum Exhibition:

The art exhibition included drawings of birds in Puzhuthivakkam lake, comparative 3D model of the region before and after urbanisation, flip book on the changes in veerangal odai, art works depicting last drop, eco-prints from leaves and flowers gathered locally and a mosaic art work depicting the map of the region in 1965 and 2025. The mosaic art work is a public art which has been placed permanently in the park for the public to engage and learn. The students also did a short film and a documentary film which were telecasted in the park. Local communities and walkers actively engaged with the kids and shared their memories of the locality. Many appreciated the students and organisers for taking up such an initiative.