ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts

EDUCATING THROUGH PLAY: AN AI GAME FRAMEWORK FOR SAFEGUARDING AND TEACHING FOLK TRADITIONS

Sunil Sudam Khatal — 2026-02-17

The blistering shift to the digitalization of the contemporary society has greatly changed the conventional ways of cultural transmission, and the intergenerational maintenance of the existence of the folk traditions gradually declined. Although digital archives and multimedia documents are helpful in preservation of intangible cultural heritage, they are frequently less interactive in nature, as well as not adaptively pedagogic. This paper suggests an AI-based Game Framework that will preserve and educate folk cultures by means of adaptive, play-based learning. The framework combines structured cultural knowledge representation, adaptive gameplay based on the reinforcement learning system, interactive storytelling based on Natural Language Processing and multiplex assessment analytics into one architectural model. A Cultural Knowledge Engine ciphers narrative, rituals, dance patterns, music patterns, and craft processes into modules of ontology, where authenticity and contextual integrity are guaranteed. An AI Adaptation Engine is a dynamically adjusted mission and narrative progression, which personalizes the difficulty of the missions and the narrative through real-time player modelling. Gameplay mechanics Experiential gameplay mechanics are a way to turn cultural elements into the form of a quest, rhythmic challenges, gesture activities, and a morally oriented decision-making. To avoid such misrepresentation, the system has ethical AI protection measures such as validation of cultural sensitivity and bias tracking systems. The implementation and comparative testing of prototypes prove the increased engagement with learners, their retention of knowledge, and cognitive awareness in contrast to the traditional forms of instruction. The findings reveal that adaptive intelligence combined with play-based pedagogy improves cognitive and affective aspects of cultural education. The developed framework has a contribution to the digital heritage preservation by offering a shift towards passive, but instead intelligent, participatory, and scalable cultural learning environments.

GRAMMAR PROFICIENCY OF ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS USING TIC-TAC-TOE STRATEGY IN PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY, ASINGAN CAMPUS

Elsa Q. Terre — 2026-02-17

Grammar is essential to clear communication and can be challenging to teach effectively; however, incorporating interactive games can make the learning process more entertaining and Ceffective. This study is intended to determine the effectiveness of the Tic-Tac-Toe strategy in teaching English grammar and compared it to traditional methods. The researcher employed an explanatory research design to explore why the Tic-Tac-Toe strategy works by providing insights into its impact and guiding future research (George & Merkus, 2023). The participants of the study were the 35 third year English major regular students from Pangasinan State University-Asingan Campus and were divided into two groups: one using the Tic-Tac-Toe strategy with technology aids and the other receiving traditional instruction. A post-test-only design was employed to assess the effectiveness of the two teaching methods. The results showed that the Tic-Tac-Toe strategy greatly outperformed traditional methods in improving grammar skills, though additional reinforcement may be necessary for long-term retention. Furthermore, it is recommended that educators could adopt the Tic-Tac-Toe strategy, integrate it with other innovative methods, explore advanced tools for complex grammar, align programs with students' linguistic backgrounds and implement continuous feedback mechanisms to enhance instructional approaches.

NEURAL NETWORK–BASED MODELS FOR GESTURE RECOGNITION AND CHOREOGRAPHIC PATTERN SYNTHESIS

Shraddha Sharma — 2026-02-17

The understanding of gestures and the synthesis of choreography can be viewed as two distinct sides of the human-AI interaction problem, which cannot be viewed as complementary and must be addressed through joint modeling of perception, synthesis, and real-time interaction. An interactive multimodal neural architecture consisting of spatial-temporal gesture encoding, latent motion representation learning, and style-conditioned choreography synthesis is proposed to facilitate end-to-end transfer of human movement from sense to expressive synthesized movement. The semantic consistency constraints in joint optimization will be used to ensure consistency between the perceived gesture intent and the synthesized choreography, while an edge cloud deployment approach will be utilized to facilitate interactive latency and energy-efficient execution. The experimental evaluation on benchmark datasets and live co-creative applications demonstrate high recognition accuracy, smooth and diverse motion synthesis, and successful semantic agreement and consistency in co-creating real-time settings. The formal user study also reveals high levels of perceptual realism, sense of expression, usability, and creative satisfaction, which verifies the framework as an excellent collaborative partner and not a passive generative tool. Managerial analysis Networks have lower production costs, scalable deployment opportunities, and therapeutic engagement of benefits in the areas of creative media, rehabilitation, and social robotics. The findings place gesture-based creative AI as a promising foundation of embodied intelligent interaction, and future research directions include the integration of emotion in creative choreography synthesis, adaptive reinforcement learning co-creation, and extreme low-latency edge synthesis

SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICAL CAPITAL, AND INVESTMENT BEHAVIOUR: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM ESG MUTUAL FUND PREFERENCES IN CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Purnima Negi — 2026-02-17

The accelerated growth of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has altered capital allocation trends, especially in cultural and creative industries (CCI) in which sustainability and ethical capital play a major role in investor sentiment. Nonetheless, there is a weak empirical research concerning the impact of sustainability perceptions and ethical orientation on ESG mutual fund choices in this industry. The fundamental issue in this study is that there is not quantitative knowledge on the drivers of behaviour in ESG investment choices among investors that are involved in CCI-related funds. The study incorporates a behavioural finance model that incorporates the sustainability consciousness, ethical capital perception, risk tolerance and expected return orientation. A questionnaire was given out to 420 retail and institutional investors in a structured form, and then it was empirically analyzed in terms of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and logistic regression. The findings indicate that sustainability awareness can have a positive impact on ESG mutual fund preference by 48 percentage points whereas perceived ethical capital can be used to determine investment likelihood by 37 percentage points. As compared to traditional motives of return maximization, which explain 18 percent of the decision variance, risk-adjusted expectations of returns explain 29 percent of the variance. Moreover, the demographic moderation analysis showed that the millennial investors have a preference of 52% higher in ESG allocation than other age groups do. The general model accounts 64 percent of variance in the selection behavior in ESG mutual funds. The results affirm the fact that sustainability-oriented ethical considerations are much more important than the pure financial aspects of investment decisions in the cultural and creative industries. These findings are empirical evidence in favour of the incorporation of ethical capital measures into the portfolio strategy planning and policy-making of sustainable development of finance.

AUTONOMOUS KINETIC SCULPTURES IN VISUAL CULTURE: A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO ART AND ENGINEERING

Dr. Ashish Suresh Patel — 2026-02-17

This paper discusses a cross-disciplinary paradigm, combining aesthetics theory, motion mechanism, embedded computing and adaptive control, to create self-controlling sculptures that can dynamically interact with their surroundings. Based on historical development of kinetic art, which began with mechanical experimentation in the early 20 th century to cybernetic and interactive installations, the study places the autonomous artworks of the contemporary era in both artistic and technological traditions. The paper discusses fundamental engineering ideas underlying such systems, such as the kinematic modeling, actuator selection, microcontroller-based architectures, sensor integration and feedback control systems. Special attention is paid to more and less autonomy, beginning with the behavioral programming under rules and ending with machine learning-based adaptive behavior. Mixed-method approach is a methodology that integrates both artistic prototyping and engineering simulation and performance evaluation by allowing the further refinement of expressive and functional aspects during the process. Through experimental implementations, it can be shown that the combination of real-time environmental sensing and adaptive algorithms can be used to increase the level of audience engagement and resilience of the system.

DIGITAL BODIES AND SOCIAL PROTECTION: VISUAL CULTURE, GENDERED CYBER THREATS, AND POLICING NARRATIVES AMONG UNIVERSITY YOUTH

Eram Rizvi — 2026-02-17

The blistering development of digital spaces of visual media has transformed the experience and presentations of bodies, identities, and vulnerabilities on the Internet, especially through young people in universities. This paper focuses on analyzing the gendered cyber threats against women in light of visual culture and social protection, which concerns the perception and formation of policing narratives in online space. Based on the answers of Gen Z female university students, the study examines the experience of cybercrimes against women, its perception, and visualization in the social media, online platforms, and mediated discourse. The paper makes cyber harassment a part of modern visual culture in which images, acts of subjectivity and the relationship in the Internet help produce vulnerability and resistance. It also examines how the law enforcement is depicted in digital discourse, identifying the disjunction between protection mechanisms carried out by the institutions and how the youth understand safety. The integration of visual studies, gender studies, and cultural analysis perspectives will give the research a step forward to predict the nature of cybercrime visually by performatively, as well as in representational aspects. The results indicate that visual stories have a strong impact on awareness, reporting behavior, and trust in the policing structures. The present research is an addition to an emerging framework of literature on digital bodies and social protection by providing information about the utilization of visual culture with the help of preventive measures, awareness-raising activities and creative interventions to tackle gendered cyber threats in the current youth cultures.

NAVIGATING LAW AND LEADERSHIP IN INDIA’S VISUAL ARTS INDUSTRY: GOVERNANCE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY

Anuj Kumar Sinha — 2026-02-17

Digital transformation reconfigures the governance models of the Indian industry of visual arts between the regulation of intellectual property, institutional leadership, as well as blockchain-integrated property ownership models. Splintered enforcement, incomplete provenance recording, and participation in resale were historically limiting payments of artists and transparency in institutions. A multidimensional system of assessment of governance was created that would measure the socio-economic risk, compliance preparedness, provenance assurance, and sustainability exposure within the framework of museums, galleries, and digital space. Quantitative aggregation on the basis of scenarios of normalized indicators of governance led to the creation of composite governance scores of about 58 percent in museums, 58 percent in galleries, and 78 percent in digital platforms, reflecting a fully completed measurable efficiency in an automated royalty realization and programmable compliance platforms. Variability analysis revealed that the more digital governance is conducted, the more volatile the performance are likely to turn out to be, the uncertainty of the regulation, and the systemic risk involved. Findings analysis enables conclusions to be identified on the basis of an integrated governance paradigm to be discovered a synthesis via legal harmonization, establishment of institutional capacity, and sustainable digital compliance infrastructure. This would make the income of artists more stable in the long-term, enhance the transparency of provenance, and enhance cultural market sustainability and ethical stewardship. The manuscript contributes to the interdisciplinary forms of governance model which can be co-related to law, leadership and technology to design digitally transforming creative economies through evidence based cultural policy.

FROM ANCESTRAL PORTRAITS TO THE YIN WORLD: VISUALIZING MEMORY AND RECONCILIATION IN AMY TAN’S THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES

Nicy Joseph — 2026-02-17

In The Hundred Secret Senses, Amy Tan blends memory, supernatural faith, and the reconciliation of emotions in a way that does not give rigid lines between realism and the fantastic. This result will argue that the utilization of the ghost stories and spiritual memory used by Tan is not only a cultural motif but also a visual cultural and narrative strategy whereby the identity, affect, and healing are constructed. Based on the Memory Studies, the analysis shows how personal, lineal, and collective memories that are passed through spectral storytelling function as a means of emotional attachment and reconciliation. At this point, the fact that Kwan believes in the Yin world and has strong memories of what she believed to be a previous life distorts the lines between the living and the dead and the remembered and imagined. These spectral stories serve as living archives of ancestral memory and parallel visual culture, such as images of ancestors, spirit images, and colour practices, as part of Chinese cultural aesthetics. Through the process of turning memory into a sensory and visual experience, Tan is able to blend myth, folklore, and her own history to make storytelling an act of visual cultural negotiation of loss, guilt and estrangement of emotion, specifically between Kwan and her half-sister Olivia. It is ultimately implied in the novel that emotional healing and self-understanding come about in the process of uniting the spiritual, cultural, and personal memory. This result places The Hundred Secret Senses in the context of memory and trauma, visual culture, and identity as discussed in Chinese American literature.

DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS AND CULTURAL PARTICIPATION: FACTORS INFLUENCING MOBILE PAYMENT ADOPTION AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Asmita — 2026-02-17

The rapid expansion of digital payment technologies has significantly reshaped modes of exchange across sectors, including the cultural and creative economy. Despite widespread diffusion of mobile payment systems, adoption among older adults remains comparatively limited, potentially influencing their participation in digitally mediated cultural activities such as online ticketing, event access, and heritage engagement. Understanding the behavioural and psychological drivers of mobile payment usage within this demographic is therefore essential for fostering inclusive digital ecosystems. This study investigates the determinants of mobile payment adoption among adults aged 55 years and above by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with constructs of trust and multidimensional perceived risk. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire administered to 326 older adults in the Delhi NCR region. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships. Findings confirm that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness significantly shape attitudes toward mobile payment technologies, supporting the explanatory power of TAM in later-life technology adoption. Trust emerges as a central mediating mechanism, enhancing perceived usefulness and positively influencing attitudes while mitigating the negative effects of perceived risks. Among risk dimensions, performance risk and financial risk exerted the strongest influence on trust, whereas psychological, privacy, and time risks demonstrated comparatively weaker effects. Attitude toward mobile payment systems was identified as the most significant predictor of behavioural intention, highlighting the importance of positive experiential and cognitive evaluations. By situating mobile payment adoption within the broader context of digital access and participation, this study contributes to discussions on digital inclusion, user experience, and accessibility for older populations. The findings hold implications for designers, cultural institutions, and policymakers seeking to enhance older adults’ engagement with digitally enabled services and cultural platforms.

EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND ARTISTIC IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG SLUM YOUTH: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY

Anil Kumar — 2026-02-17

Educational inequality within urban slum environments constrains adolescents’ access to stable schooling, future opportunity, and psychosocial development. Creative engagement has emerged as a potential developmental resource capable of strengthening motivation and identity in contexts of structural deprivation; however, empirical integration between artistic participation, identity formation, and educational aspiration remains limited. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed with a sample of 150 slum-dwelling adolescents aged 12–19 years. Quantitative survey measures assessed artistic engagement, psychosocial identity attributes, mentorship support, structural barriers, and educational aspiration, while qualitative interviews, focus groups, and artwork narratives provided contextual interpretation. Statistical analysis revealed significant positive relationships between artistic engagement and identity formation (β = 0.52, p < 0.001) and between identity formation and educational aspiration (β = 0.54, p < 0.001). Mediation testing confirmed identity formation as a partial mediator linking artistic engagement to aspiration, whereas structural barriers showed negative effects and mentorship support demonstrated reinforcing influence. Scenario-based qualitative evidence corroborated these findings by illustrating how sustained creative participation and community recognition align with higher confidence, belonging, and schooling motivation. Integrated interpretation positions artistic identity development as a measurable psychosocial pathway that can partially counteract educational marginalization in urban slum contexts. Implications highlight the importance of community arts integration, mentorship networks, and inclusive educational policy for strengthening youth aspiration and long-term social mobility.