Art Workshop and Creative Inspiration for school children in Hopefield, Western Cape, South Africa.
Our youth in the Western Cape are severely affected by the current high unemployment figures and the relevant socioeconomic impacts because of this. With rising living costs and parents struggling to maintain the basic needs of their children, we find that children are becoming disillusioned and unmotivated to attend and finish school, rather opting to get involved in the local gangs and drug activities which promise easy money.
INVOLVE COMMUNITY
The aim of the project is to bring vulnerable children together twice a month to play and explore, learn new skills and process underlying emotional problems through art. The project also aims to assist children with school projects, providing the necessary materials and assistance to enable vulnerable students to be able to submit projects that would normally not be possible due to the cost of materials to the family. A sense of pride in accomplishment of school projects especially, has proven to be extremely valuable in changing negative school attendance to positive school attendance. The aim is to involve the local community and have the children exhibit their work twice a year as part of a cultural evening or event.
VISION, MISSION, PRINCIPLES AND VALUES VISION
Empowerment of school children through arts.
MISSION STATEMENT
To collaborate with the community and schools to build capacity, create opportunities that drive socioeconomic and cultural change, promoting positive engagement, encouraging collective problem solving and building bridges across cultures for sustainable and resilient livelihoods by weaving arts into the fabric of daily life.
NETWORK/PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATORS
Hopefield is a microcosm of the Western Cape, it is multicultural and incorporates children from all socio economic and cultural backgrounds. Identified as one of the most vulnerable areas
due to the current socioeconomic climate, the aim is to start our project here and once established, move out to the other towns in our area with the help of local authorities, the government and local businesses. The art classes will mainly be done by me, a self-taught artist with a love for sharing art, creativity and the joy of simple accomplishments through learning new skills. Having discovered art as part of a healing program that I went through, I understand first-hand how important art and the process of creating is for mental health.
– 2- I run private art classes in Velddrif and provide an art table at local markets for children where they can express themselves, play without pressure and just enjoy and relax.
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION
The preliminary activities are tailored in a way that the program will run twice a month. This will enable us to keep the initial costs to a minimum. There will be only two people involved full-time
in the project, the artist and a partner from the town of Hopefield. Both the artist and partner will be working on a volunteer basis until such time as the project is up and running and a stipend can be spared as income to cover basic personal expenses.
ACCOUNTING RECORDS
Financial records and transactions during activity days will be kept. Records will be kept of the basic food, art supplies and transportation costs through budgeting and receipting each transaction.
CREATIVE PROJECTS:
The following creative projects aims to be explored and shared with the children attending the project:
1. Drawing skills;
2. Painting skills, both acrylic and watercolor paints;
3. Creating with recycled materials;
4. Assistance with school projects that rely on art, paints and writing;
5. Exploring current school topics through art;
6. Creating bonds through team building art activities;
7. Assisting promising and talented young artists to learn and explore through more detailed and structured sessions;
8. Creating a sense of pride and accomplishment through exhibiting students work on a regular basis.
NEEDS
To fulfill our dream of starting this project, finance will be needed to cover the basic costs of art materials, e.g. brushes, paints, pens, glue, stapler, pens, pencils, erasures, sharpeners, scissors paper. We also intend to provide a light meal during the session, e.g. sandwiches, soup, cool drinks. Traveling expenses for the artist from Velddrif to Hopefield on a twice weekly basis. Cleaning materials and protective gear for the children.
BANK DETAILS
Although we are considering asking for a fee, it would still not be possible to make the “art school” a success without your contribution.
To motivate parents and their children, something that is paid is always done successfully.
Account name:- West Coast Sports Solutions NPC
Bank:- First National Bank.
Branch:- 250655
Account number:- 63115910829
Reverence:- Art Workshop
Please help us keep the project alive:
