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Choki
Traditional Art School
Kabessa, Bhutan
The Choki Traditional Arts School is a private school that provides free skills-related education in the traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan to Bhutanese children who are unable to attend or complete their formal education.
 Bordered by the Tibetan autonomous region of China in the north and by India in the south, Bhutan is a small Himalayan kingdom which is not only landlocked but also has one of the most formidable mountainous terrains in the world.
Here an ancient branch of Buddhism made its last stand and with it a strange and mystical art form revealing a cosmos of Hindu-based demons and deities metamorphosed by sorcery and other native beliefs. Today Bhutan offers up a unique, highly imaginative artistry that has survived unchanged through the centuries.
Until recently, this artistic heritage has passed smoothly from one generation to the next, from father to son, from mother to daughter. Modern technology, however, and other foreign influences threaten these millennia-old traditions. Young people no longer learn the skills from their parents.
By Bhutanese law, art is essential to the kingdom's national identity as well as to its economy. Artists and craftsmen find ready employment, providing not only the elaborate ornamentation required on all public buildings but also in restoring religious murals and other iconography of Bhutan's monasteries, temples, fortresses and other ancient landmarks.
| The Choki Traditional Art School (CTAS) was established in April 1999, in commemoration of His Majesty’s silver jubilee. The school was set up as a private initiative to support the less fortunate youth and to assist the Government to meet its goals; to |
New dormitory, achieved in 2005 |
preserve the culture and tradition of the country and to provide opportunities for gainful employment to youth.
Today, the school is well run by the seven-member Choki family and a faculty of eight. Until now its operations have been financed by the family and the school's Handicraft Shop, where students sell their arts and crafts. In addition in 2003, third-year students bid on and won a Government contract to paint and decorate a new government building in Bumthang with the proceeds returning to the school. By the end of 2005, the students of CTAS had painted 13 buildings, 3 of which were government jobs won by competitive bidding.
In 2002, the Himalayan Youth Foundation donated funds for a large toilet and shower facility. In 2003, thanks to a very generous donation, HYF was able to guarantee construction a 120-bed dormitory completed in May 2005.
The school curriculum is run over a period of six years and is diversified to cater to the overall development of the student. As such, elementary math, English and co-curricular activities such as games, mask dance and cultural programs are incorporated into the art curriculum.
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Government building decorated by CTAS students
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