We have spent most of our lives associating Teacher’s Day with school and college teachers. But there is so much that one can learn outside of the walls of these institutions. Particularly for those seeking a career in the alternative space, much of the learning takes place after they have graduated. What makes the role of our music, art, sports and culinary educators even more significant is that they are often providing platforms and creating opportunities, over and above imparting the skill that they are trained in.

So, more often than not, a music teacher is not only helping you understand the art form, but also helping you channelise an interest into a vocation. Art teachers are teaching you how to develop the skill, but typically, they also work towards making art more accessible. In a country where the skill-based industry is largely unstructured even today, these teachers play an important role, not only as educators but also as leaders of the community. On Teacher’s Day, we spoke to some of these gurus of our times, to see how they’re changing things as educators of niche disciplines.