Traditional creative skills and wellbeing of the residential students

Purpose -The purpose of this institutional case study was to explore the wellbeing of students and outcomes of their attachment to their various different cultural skills practice and performance in Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). In parallel, how they perceive their traditional skills in the areas of dance and music, drawing and painting. This study was a qualitative multiple-case study of students who are actively involved either in dance, music and art. In the process, 50 students of various grades and academic disciplines were interviewed, and 15 members of cultural committee in the institution were interviewed. Further, 20 ninth standard students were interviewed in separate focus groups to find out how they feel and perceive. The findings showed indigenous students have special interest in drawing and painting and various different forms of dance and music. The students are aware of their cultural and social development, they are not only encouraged to perform but also involved in getting training and give training to their juniors on such skills. They nurture their talents; cherish a feeling of ‘home away from home’ in Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and while engaging in group/folks for performance directly foster fraternity among themselves along with a feel good attitude. The fact that this study is an institutional-case study automatically implies that the results cannot be generalized within the larger higher education context. Nevertheless, the research findings can be a very good example promoting wellbeing of students by engaging them in their traditional skills, which may be applicable in other contexts. In an enabling environment, students’ creativeness must be nurtured through continuously encouraging and supporting by teachers, to be kindled with their traditional skills, so to render them a happy experience in the campus they stay. The study is unique in how it records various different tribal group students'-to say, a community's wellbeing through taking care of their traditional skills. Further, this institutional case study supporting with multi case examples of student on its impact give a scientific credence to the fact that choice and freedom in creativeness makes individual happier.