Healing the world through Art

Navya Mukesh Agarwal, a social entrepreneur and student of Grade 11, has combined her passion for visual art, history and public policy to reach out to marginalised sections of society. Deeply aware of the significance of art as a form of empowerment, Navya founded the non-profit organization Project Limitless with an objective to uplift marginalized communities, through collective wall murals. Over the course of 3 years, she has built a network of 250+ volunteers, working to create murals in locations such as sex-trafficking, rescue homes, and juvenile detention centers. She has also published ‘Art of the Good Fight’, an illustrated novel that applies ancient military principles to dissect Indian societal injustices. The book also featured at the prestigious Jaipur Literature Festival. For her consistent efforts as an agent of change, the International Baccalaureate Organisation [IBO] recognised Navya as a MYP Student Innovator in 2020, and awarded her with a $5000 [USD] grant. She was also selected as a volunteer for the UNESCO ‘Art on Walls’ initiative, at the Centre for Learning Disabilities in Rajasthan. Navya attributes her experiences at the Start-up School to an improvement in her entrepreneurial competencies. The Startup School experience has enabled her to identify her personal vision, which not only provides direction on how she can continue to use her art to heal the world, and make a positive impact on society.