an immersive learning experience by Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Reliance Foundation and Dadu
‘Emotions Lab’, for emotional literacy and social-emotional development of children opened in India
with Reliance Foundation’s ESA Day for children from under-resourced communities
Over 100 children from NGOs supported by Reliance Foundation participated in dedicated ‘ESA Days’ at Emotions Lab.
- At Emotions Lab, co-developed by NMACC, Reliance Foundation, and Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, children explored how to recognise, understand and express their emotions in a safe, playful and engaging environment through immersive, interactive exhibits.
- The experience will remain open to the public at NMACC until August 2, 2026.
Mumbai, July 15, 2026: It was an emotive learning experience for over 100 children from non-governmental organisations supported by Reliance Foundation, at the special opening of ‘Emotions Lab’ this month.
Ms Isha Ambani joined the children during the launch, as they explored how to recognise, understand and express their emotions in a safe, playful and engaging environment through immersive, interactive exhibits.
Brought to Mumbai by Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), Reliance Foundation in collaboration with Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar ‘Emotions Lab’ was launched as part of NMACC’s annual Bachpan festival. It invites young audiences to explore emotional literacy and social-emotional development through immersive, play-based experiences. Designed for children aged 5 to 11 years and their families, it helps recognise, understand, express and regulate emotions.
The dedicated Education and Sports for All (ESA) days on the opening days, marked the inaugural experience of this first-of-its-kind initiative in India.
Ms Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Foundation, who interacted with the children during the event said, “We believe learning should be an adventure driven by playfulness and curiosity. We are thrilled to build on our partnership with Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar to bring Emotions Lab to young minds in India. It is vital for children to learn emotional literacy and intelligence early in life, both inside and outside the classroom. The exhibition with a dedicated day for children under our Education and Sports For All (ESA) initiative, is in line with our commitment to ensure educational experiences are accessible to all children.”
The exhibition is centred on the Mood Meter, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence as a signature tool of the RULER approach to cultivating emotional intelligence in schools. Through a simplified adaptation of the Mood Meter, ‘Emotions Lab’ helps children build five key emotional intelligence skills: recognising, understanding, labelling, expressing and regulating emotions, through interactive experiences and practical tools.
Under the vision of Reliance Foundation’s ESA programme, children participated in guided explorations of Emotions Lab, where they engaged in activities that encouraged them to recognise emotions through facial expressions and body language, understand how everyday experiences influence feelings, and explore how emotions shape communication and relationships. Through these hands-on experiences, children learned to interpret emotional cues, express themselves with confidence and develop practical tools for emotional awareness and resilience. They also took part in an NMACC Art Walk, which encouraged observation, creativity and self-expression through engagement with art.
Guided by Reliance Foundation’s ‘We Care’ philosophy, ESA aims to inspire and empower children to dream big and achieve their potential by expanding access to education, sports and experiential learning opportunities for children from all backgrounds.
Developed by the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Reliance Foundation, and Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, in collaboration with education experts in India and internationally, ‘Emotions Lab’ transforms conventional spaces into immersive learning environments through play. Adapted for the Indian context, it enables children to explore emotions through engaging and accessible social-emotional learning experiences.
‘Emotions Lab’ is the second exhibition in the Museum in Residence series, building on the collaboration established through Light Atelier in 2025, which engaged more than 13,000 children through playful exploration of light, shadow and colour. Following its run at NMACC, Emotions Lab will be adapted for schools and Anganwadis across India, particularly to reach children in underserved communities.
By bringing together play, creativity and emotional learning, Emotions Lab encourages children to build confidence, empathy and resilience while nurturing curiosity and imagination, essential to lifelong learning and development. The exhibition at NMACC aims to reach a broad audience to experience including public entry, school outreach and packages for local schools, and is open until August 2, 2026.
About Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre
The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary arts destination in the heart of Mumbai, India. Since opening in March 2023, it has emerged as a defining cultural force, bringing together the best of India and the world across live performance, visual art, and craft on a world-class stage, keeping culture at the centre of every experience.
The Centre is home to three dynamic performing arts venues – the majestic 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 198-seat Studio Theatre, and the intimate 80-seat Cube – alongside the four-storey Art House, a dedicated visual arts space featuring exhibitions and immersive installations by leading artists and curators from India and around the world. Across its concourses, NMACC features a remarkable collection of public art by renowned Indian and international artists, alongside Swadesh by Reliance Foundation, an evolving exposition celebrating India’s rich artisanal traditions.
The Cultural Centre has made a significant mark in just three years, presenting an exceptional array of visual arts showcases such as POP: FAME, LOVE AND POWER by Lawrence Van Hagen, Run As Sure As You Can by TOILETPAPER, two acclaimed editions of Bhakti, UNDER THE SUN by Doug Aitken, and most recently A Fistful of Sky by Subodh Gupta, among others.
Complementing its artistic experiences are curated culinary offerings at NMACC Arts Cafe, NMACC Theatre Cafe, and The Bar.
Celebrated globally, NMACC is the first-ever Indian arts institution to be featured in the prestigious Japanese publication Madame Figaro as one of the world’s seven leading cultural destinations.
The National Pavilion of India at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia – Geographies of Distance: remembering home – presented by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in partnership with NMACC and Serendipity Arts, and curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, further reinforces the Centre’s growing cultural presence.
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About Reliance Foundation
Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, aims to play a catalytic role in addressing India’s development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. Led by Smt. Nita M Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation is relentlessly working for the overall well-being and enhanced quality of life for all, focusing on rural transformation, education, health, sports for development, disaster management, women empowerment, urban renewal and arts, culture and heritage, and has touched the lives of over 97 million people across India, in over 98,000 villages and urban locations.
More on www.reliancefoundation.org.
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