The Centre for Academic and Professional Support (CAPS), Christ University Pune Lavasa, recently organised an enriching and immersive Clay Modelling Workshop. The session brought together more than 30 students from various wings, including Operations, Peer Training, Connect Wide, PR & Media, Content, QC, and Research, marking a unique blend of creativity, reflection, and leadership development. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Sangeeta Jawla, a respected scholar known for her expertise in folklore, gender studies, creative arts, and narratives of traditional potter communities. Her interdisciplinary approach created a meaningful connection between art, culture, and leadership.
For many participants, clay modelling was a new and unexpectedly grounding experience. The simple act of shaping soil with one’s hands became a therapeutic process, allowing students to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with themselves. What is often seen merely as “mud” is transformed into a medium of expression—reminding participants of the beauty in raw materials, the value of patience, and the power of small, intentional actions. Several team leads reported that the session was one of the most relaxing experiences they had had in weeks, offering a refreshing pause from their academic and volunteer responsibilities.
Dr Jawla used the process of clay modelling as a metaphor to explore the core competencies of effective communication, self-awareness, and reflective leadership required in CAPS roles. Through interactive dialogue, she encouraged participants to observe how they approached the clay: Were they patient? Rigid? Careful? Rushed? These subtle behavioural patterns reflected their communication styles and leadership tendencies within their wings. The workshop emphasised that leadership at CAPS requires clarity, empathy, mindful listening, and the ability to adapt, just as clay requires careful shaping, intention, and responsiveness. A compelling part of the session was the discussion on traditional potters, their craft, and the cultural narratives embedded in clay work. Participants gained insight into how the potter’s wheel symbolises continuity, community, balance, and resilience. Understanding the lives of potter families, their social structures, craftsmanship, and the generational knowledge they passed down added a profound layer of meaning to the hands-on activity. It helped team leads appreciate how culture, identity, and creativity intersect, and how leadership, too, must be rooted in sensitivity, awareness, and respect for diverse experiences.
The workshop also strengthened team bonding. Students shared moments of laughter, experimentation, and discovery. Many expressed gratitude for being encouraged to join the session, noting how the experience connected them more deeply with the CAPS community. It created a safe and warm space where leaders could step away from structure and expectations, allowing creativity and reflection to take hold.
By the end of the workshop, CAPS team leads walked away with more than just clay artefacts—they carried with them new insights into communication, leadership, and cultural appreciation. The session reinforced the belief that effective leadership grows from patience, creativity, empathy, and reflective practice. It also highlighted CAPS’s ongoing commitment to nurturing student leaders in a holistic, intellectual, emotional, and artistic manner.
This workshop stands as a reminder that leadership is not only built in meetings, events, and responsibilities, but also in moments of stillness, creativity, and connection.
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