Building Dreams (part 6)
This post is part of a series about a mosaic project I'm working on with teens at a school in a 'disadvantaged' area of Rotterdam. I'll share with you what I'm experiencing and learning along the way.
Today was the 5th session and there were 7 kids this time. One of the kids who didn't come this week was working on the 'grafitti face' design, which was 3/4 done as of last week. And it's turning out to be such a great artwork, too! (see new photos, below). So he'll be back next week to finish it.
Next week is also the last session the kids will spend laying tile before I take everything to the studio and do my "magic". I decided today that I'll do the affixing of sheets of tile into cement. Maybe I'll film it; maybe not. We'll see... Then the school has Spring Break, and when they come back I'll be on a much-needed vacation. When I come back the kids will come to my studio to see the fruits of their labor, and we'll celebrate with a small party.
Every step of the way of this project has demanded flexibility, improvisation, and quick-thinking. And a lot of love and understanding...and sometimes even forgiveness. The energy of everyone involved - both students and teachers - plays a big part in how things have gone. It's been interesting to see the energy dynamics changing from week to week.
The kids are absolutely great. And it's very interesting to see how the 3 artworks are developing under the guidance of 3 different teachers. For me it's been reassuring to see that, when given the chance to put themselves into a project, the kids CAN and DO create great things. They only need a little guidance in the form of questions like "Do you think this works better or that?" When we empower them, they become the leaders, the designers, and the decision-makers. One day, they WILL BE the leaders, so let's help prepare them for the task...
Posted on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 16:09
by
Brit Hammer
in Building dreams
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