2012 Feb India Trip 1

In preparation for any community art workshops, training for a helper is not just providing the skill to help or lead the activity, it is for the helper to experience the process themselves.  Otherwise the helper’s own emotion may surface during the workshop and hamper their ability to help.

During our trip to India in the spring of 2012, we held a drawing programme for the children on the second of three days.  After being swamped by dozens of children that appeared out of hallways and buildings on the day 1, we redesigned day 2’s programme to handle more children.

The Artwork

So, our plan was to work on 2 participatory piece: A) A Mural and B) A collection of postcard size sketches/drawings by children of all ages and skills, tiled together to form a Mini-Picture Mosaic, under the theme “My Home”

The Plan

We had 2 artists in Room A in charge of the Mural, while 1 artist (me) and 3 helpers will look after Room B.  All children will first enter Room B to draw a postcard size drawing to help form the Mini-Picture Mosaic, while Helpers and Artists will pick out children who really enjoy drawing to paint the Mural in Room A.  Those who “graduated to Room A were mostly primary 3 and above, while those age 2-6 generally stayed in Room B to draw or went off playing other games. 

So how did it work out?

Room B was the entry point for all children.  Turn-out was slow during the first half hour, so I told the helpers to draw a couple of mini-painting themselves to get things started.  Then, perhaps rested from their afternoon nap, children began to pour in at a steady rate.  After 10 to 15 minutes, I began to see some younger children sitting with bored and confused faces, not knowing what else to draw after some simple stick trees or people.  So, I reminded and demonstrated to my helpers of various ways of encouraging children to fill in more details or colours or even go off into other topics, as long as the children can have fun drawing.  Assured by the helpers’ enthusiasm, I returned to my task of shaping the Mini-Painting Mosaic with finished drawings.

After around 10 minutes, I went back into Room B to encounter again the lost little eyes and faces waiting for something to do, while some helpers were nowhere in sight.  I found Helper X sitting at the art supply table, drawing her fourth or fifth mini-drawing in ever greater detail.  Then, I found Helper Y at the Mini-Painting Mosaic, asking his friend, a Helper whom he dragged over from Room A, “Guess which ones I drew?”

Reflection and Analysis

As you can see from the photographs [which I might post someday], the Mural worked out very nicely, while the Mini-Picture Mosaic sufficiently served its service in getting children to draw whatever they want, and gathering these small drawings together to form something substantial.  The Helpers took some reminding, but overall they were helpful in caring for the children.  However, their attitude deserves more consideration.

Both Helper X and Y have been very helpful on Day 1 and Day 2 morning, and were experienced in leading children rhymes and games.   But looking back, the nature of their activities was fundamentally different.  For example, children rhymes are carried out in a call and response method, where the children repeated in English funny rhymes reciting by Helper Y.  The Helpers also led a drawing activity and origami activity where the instruction was to “mimic” what the teacher created.

Therefore, my instruction to let the children draw whatever they want, and that the Mini-Painting Mosaic is inclusive of all skill level, was liberating to both the children and the Helpers.  Thus, I found Helper X, the aspiring kindergarten teacher, drawing painting after painting in her own corner; and Helper Y, half-forgotten his role, showing off his drawing to a friend with enthusiastic light shining from his eyes. 

To use some descriptions from studies of art and human, the Helpers lost themselves in the experience of exercising a rarely used faculty and a rare sense of freedom.  I am very glad for these two Helpers.  If time allowed, a training session should have been arranged so that they could have had the experienced prior to the activity, and not when we needed them most.