Kathmandu, Nepal – 20 February 2026: The Mithila Art Foundation today announced the expansion of its Art for SDGs initiative to three new cities — Pokhara, Biratnagar, and Bharatpur — bringing the programme’s total coverage to seven cities across Nepal and India.
The Art for SDGs initiative uses Mithila art as a creative medium to engage young people with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Participants learn traditional Madhubani art techniques while exploring themes of gender equality, environmental sustainability, and social justice as expressed through the art form’s rich visual language.
Since its launch in 2023, the programme has reached over 15,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 25. A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Arts Education found that 89% of participants reported increased awareness of at least three SDGs, and 72% indicated that the programme had influenced their personal values around social and environmental issues.
“Mithila art has always been a tool for storytelling, for transmitting values, for making sense of the world,” said Programs Director Dr. Sunita Devi Jha. “Our job is to show young people that these stories have never been more relevant.”