Local communities coming together to learn, practice & share their skills. Stitching, Science, Reading, Dance, Cooking, Carpentry, Up-cycling, Gardening and more.
Read on, to know more about the seven-year journey of Thudippu. In this conversation, Anjali reflects on the social, financial, and emotional realities of building a small arts organisation in Kerala, and why creating a safe space can itself become a quiet act of resistance.
Here is a story of materials rescued from landfill, skills passed between women, and a community slowly stitching together its own sustainable future — one bag at a time.
Local communities coming together to learn, practice & share their skills. Stitching, Science, Reading, Dance, Cooking, Carpentry, Up-cycling, Gardening and more.
An abundance of technology has lead to a scarcity of human interactions and interconnectedness, hasn't it?
Community clubs and labs aim to bring people together on a regular basis. They also aid in the following:
Increase the frequency of interactions among local communities and households
Improve the quality of those interactions
aikyam space facilitates this by organising community-driven activities and fostering better connections among people.
Last Updated 19 May 2026
April Rewind
April at aikyam space was filled with small moments of learning and gathering. From stitching and science to dance, cooking, and art, people shared time, skills, and ideas every day. More than the activities, it was the people who made the space feel alive, through learning, helping each other, and growing together.
May 1
Holiday for space - May day!
May 2
09:30 AM-10:30 AM | Main Hall Regular Dance Classes. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation. A fee-based dance class has been started in collaboration with students as part of the Change makers in Residence initiative. It is an effort to explore new ways of learning and growing within the space.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by our Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. We have started practical stitching sessions for tote bags, right from the basics. Using simple methods like straight cutting and measuring, everyone learns step by step, helping each other along the way.
2 PM-3:30 PM | Science Lab Science Club. Facilitated by Nasrin TA. Children gathered for the science class and learned about air pressure through simple examples and activities. In between, they enjoyed a fun game session that helped the learning to be more engaging.
4.30 PM–6.00 PM | Main Hall Dance Club. Facilitated by Aparna NS. In the dance class, students practiced hand movements and expressions under guidance. With each correction and repetition, they slowly understood how every gesture tells a story.
May 3
09 AM-2 PM | Conference Room Make A Difference (MAD) Team's Meet Up. Facilitated by Kiran Alex. The event is hosted to commemorate the ending of the volunteering tenure for the year 2025 - 2026. It brings volunteers together to reflect on their journey, revisit the impact & express gratitude toward one another.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The progress of the stitching class is reflected on the wall, with each bag telling its own story. From simple designs to creative patterns, every piece reflects the learning, effort, and growth of the community.
4.30 PM–6.00 PM | Main Hall Dance Club. Facilitated by Aparna NS. The Bharatanatyam class now runs in two batches, making space for more learners. Yesterday, five new students joined, bringing fresh energy as everyone continues to learn steps, rhythms, and expressions together.
May 4
Off day for community programs. Renewing energy for the upcoming week.
May 5
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching classes proceed in a more structured way, with proper timings and simple checklists for students to follow. Beginning from the basics, the sessions help members learn slowly and steadily, with more clarity and consistency.
May 6
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. Stitching class continues with students learning through practice, guidance, and teamwork. From measuring and cutting to stitching on machines, members learn how to make tote bags from scratch.
May 7
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching space comes alive every day with practice, conversations, and learning. From beginners to those who are more confident using the machines, each session helps the community build the skills they need.
May 8
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching room is filled with fabric pieces and measurement tapes, as students continue practicing making tote bags with quiet concentration. From tracing patterns to preparing cloth for stitching, every session is helping them become more confident with the process.
May 9
Regular Dance Classes. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation A fee-based dance class has been started in collaboration with students as part of the Change makers in Residence initiative. It is an effort to explore new ways of learning and growing within the space.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class focused on learning measurements, fabric cutting, and bag patterns from the basics. Students worked together with care, practicing each step slowly as the space fills with learning, teamwork, and creativity.
2 PM-3:30 PM | Science Lab Little Makers Club. Facilitated by Gauri Nishant. Children gathered for the crochet class and learned simple looping and knotting techniques using colourful yarn. The session became a calm and joyful space where they practiced patiently, helped each other, and slowly created with their own hands.
3 Pm- 4:30 PM | Cooking Lab Cooking Club. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Jasentha Community members came together for a chicken pickle making session, learning the process in detail through practice. From preparing ingredients to mixing spices, the class became a space for sharing skills, conversations, and learning together.
4.30 PM–6.00 PM | Main Hall Dance Club. Facilitated by Aparna NS The Bharatanatyam class brought together children and community members to practice steps, postures, and rhythm as a group. With every session, the space is slowly growing into a place where learning, discipline, and art come together.
May 10
10.30 AM–11.30 AM | Main Hall Dance Club. Facilitated by Facilitated by Aparna NS The Bharatanatyam class was filled with energy as students practiced expressions, postures, and movements together. With every step and hand gesture, the children are getting to know how dance can tell stories without words.
May 11
Summer Camp Day 1 - Games, Yoga, Vegetable Painting
09:30 AM–12:30 PM | Main Hall Summer Camp. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation. The summer camp began with an ice-breaking session, followed by animal flow movements, games, and group activities that helped children feel comfortable together. The day continued with yoga and ended with a fun vegetable painting session on cloth, where children explored creativity through colours and patterns.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class continued with students learning how to work with fabric more confidently each day. From cutting cloth to finishing small details, the sessions are helping the community slowly build practical skills through regular practice.
10:30 AM–12:30 PM | Conference Hall Magic Bus Foundation. Change Makers Meet-up Members from Magic Bus visited the space to understand more about the activities happening within the community and explore possibilities for future engagement. The interaction became a chance to share experiences, ideas, and learn more about each other’s work.
09:00 AM–05:30 PM | Conference Hall Pranava Institute. Meeting with Dhanyashri Kamalakannan A meeting was held with Dhanyashri from Pranava Institute to discuss a survey focused on technology barriers faced by NGOs, Kudumbashree members, ASHA, and ICDS workers in Fort Kochi. After the discussion at the space, the team went around the community to interact with people and understand their experiences and challenges with technology.
Tech Barrier Meeting with Magic Bus Foundation by Dhanyashri
May 12
Summer Camp Day 2 Story Telling, Sign Language
09:30 AM–12:30 PM | Main Hall Summer Camp. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation. Day 2 of the summer camp focused on storytelling and learning basic sign language . Through stories, expressions, and simple hand signs, children learned new ways to communicate, listen, and understand each other.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class continued with students spending time on practice, patience, and small improvements in every step. As fabrics slowly turn into bags and pouches, the space becomes a place of learning, support, and shared creativity.
02:30 PM–04:30 PM | Conference Hall Awaaz Leadership Lab. Meeting with Rohit Sharma. Shemeer and Rohit spent time discussing fundraising challenges for early stage non profits and how to navigate the challenges.
"aikyam felt like a mini world where people of different ages and backgrounds came together to learn, create, and feel a sense of belonging." — Rohit Sharma
May 13
Summer Camp Day 3 - Dance & Resist Dyeing
09:30 AM–12:30 PM | Main Hall Summer Camp. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation. Day 3 of the summer camp focused on movement, dance, and “Resist Dyeing” activities. Through games, expression, and group sessions, children were encouraged to move freely, think creatively, and participate with confidence.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class continued with members getting to know the complete process behind making a product. From handling fabric carefully to practicing clean stitching, each session is helping turn learning into confidence.
May 14
Summer Camp Day 4 Dance, Theatre
09:30 AM–12:30 PM | Main Hall Summer Camp. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation. Day 4 of the summer camp was filled with dance and theatre activities. Through movement, role play, and expression, children explored confidence, creativity, and working together as a group.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class also became a space for discussion, sharing ideas, and learning together beyond just sewing. Students spent time understanding designs, materials, and different ways to improve their bag making skills step by step.
May 15
Summer Camp Final Performance Day
09:30 AM–12:30 PM | Main Hall Summer Camp. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation. The final day of the summer camp was filled with excitement as children displayed the artworks they created during the camp and proudly shared them with everyone. The day ended with dance and theatre performances at the theatre space, making it a joyful celebration of creativity, learning, and fun together.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class also became a space for discussion, sharing ideas, and learning together beyond just sewing. Students spent time understanding designs, materials, and different ways to improve their bag making skills step by step.
May 16
09:30 AM– 11:00 AM | Main Hall Regular Dance Classes. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation A fee-based dance class has been started in collaboration with students as part of the Change makers in Residence initiative. It is an effort to explore new ways of learning and growing within the space.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by our Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. We have started practical stitching sessions for tote bags, right from the basics. Using simple methods like straight cutting and measuring, everyone learns step by step, helping each other along the way.
2 PM-3:30 PM | Science Lab Little Makers Club. Facilitated by Gauri Nishant Children gathered again for the remaining crochet class, patiently learning knots, loops, and simple patterns together. The session was filled with curiosity, focus, and joyful conversations.
3 PM-4:30 PM | Varandha Cooking Club. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Jasentha Community members came together for a cooking session to learn how to make rice pathiri. From preparing the dough to frying the pathiris, the class became a space for sharing food, skills, and conversations together.
4.30 PM–6.00 PM | Main Hall Dance Club. Facilitated by Aparna NS. The Bharatanatyam class now runs in two batches, making space for more learners. Yesterday, five new students joined, bringing fresh energy as everyone continues to learn steps, rhythms, and expressions together.
Nature Walked 🦚 | Garden Area Some unexpected visitors walked into the space today, making the day feel a little more special.Nature has its own way of sending invitations to slow down, observe, and enjoy the space around us.
May 17
09:30 AM– 11:00 AM | Main Hall Regular Dance Classes. Facilitated by Thudippu Dance Foundation A fee-based dance class has been started in collaboration with students as part of the Change makers in Residence initiative. It is an effort to explore new ways of learning and growing within the space.
May 18
09:30 AM–05:30 PM | Change Makers Working space - I Magic Bus Foundation. Change Makers Collaboration We were happy to welcome the team from Magic Bus Foundation to the space. Their visit opened up conversations around community work, youth engagement, and collaboration. Moments like these continue to make the space a place where different people and ideas come together naturally.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching room was filled with learning, teamwork, and quiet concentration. Under the guidance of the teacher, the students practiced cutting, measuring, and stitching with care. Together, they are learning to make production-quality tote bags while building confidence through every small step.
May 19
09:30 AM–05:30 PM | Change Makers Working space - I Magic Bus Foundation. Change Makers Collaboration They began discussions and recruitment activities for their upcoming community projects. It was encouraging to see the space being used to connect with people, share opportunities, and support new beginnings.
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy. The stitching class continued with students learning each step patiently, from sorting fabric pieces to finishing neat stitches. With the support of the teacher, simple materials are slowly turning into strong and colourful tote bags made with care and teamwork.
Birthday Celebration - Jasentha Joy | Moments at Space We celebrated our chef’s birthday at the space with cake, laughter, and togetherness. It felt special because she is someone who always makes sure nobody leaves the space without food or care. The celebration became one of those simple moments that truly reflected the warmth of the space.
May 20
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy.
May 21
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy.
May 22
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy.
May 23
2 PM–6 PM | Stitching Lab Stitching / Up-Cycling. Facilitated by Tiny Entrepreneur - Mary Gracy.
2 PM-3:30 PM | Science Lab Little Makers Club. Facilitated by Shabana.
Read on, to know more about the seven-year journey of Thudippu. In this conversation, Anjali reflects on the social, financial, and emotional realities of building a small arts organisation in Kerala, and why creating a safe space can itself become a quiet act of resistance.
Here is a story of materials rescued from landfill, skills passed between women, and a community slowly stitching together its own sustainable future — one bag at a time.
Local communities coming together to learn, practice & share their skills. Stitching, Science, Reading, Dance, Cooking, Carpentry, Up-cycling, Gardening and more.
Local communities coming together to learn, practice & share their skills. Stitching, Science, Reading, Dance, Cooking, Carpentry, Up-cycling, Gardening and more.
