In January 2011 I began facilitating two creative arts programs at Scope Victoria, for people with both intellectual and physical disabilities. It has been an inspiring experience. Participants of the program come up with new ways of making art through experiementing each session and they are teaching me about expanding my own ideas of what one can do with art materials.
It is a challenging role, trying to constantly come up with projects and ideas that everyone in the group will be excited by. Something I really enjoy about this role is finding ways to adapt materials and equipment to the individual needs of participants.
We have on board a fantastic team, and one of the most rewarding aspects of facilitating this group is being surprised by what can emerge out of the supportive and encouraging environment that the staff create with participants. Respect and openess to new ways of looking at things breeds creativity.
I'd like to share some images of what we have been working on.
We made a series of self-portraits by tracing the shadow of participants profiles and then decorating them using mixed media.
And we also work on individual projects. This is one of the participants with a book she created.
We made a series of mandalas relating to different aspects of our selves and our lives. This was created by one of the participants who paints using a brush connected to an adapted head piece. She is an inventive and beautiful artist. After painting, she selected the birds for around the edges and instructed one of our helpers to arrange them in place.
Weaving and mixed media is a fun way to express themselves creativly and develop fine motor skills and coordination at the same time.
Doll making can be medicine for the soul. This doll was made with sticks, string, and recycled materials by one of the participants, and imbued with qualities of strength, beauty, independence and courage. I find, myself, when I want to invite certain qualities or aspects into my own life, I make a doll contaning them.
We made an 'Angels and Fairies of the Art Room' series, and this is the group in making mode.
And these are the finished helpers of the room!
