Api [WE] – ‘I am Because we are’
Solution focused, Community Engaging Art Project
Api is a community engaging art project initiated by CoCA, (Collective of
Contemporary Artists). The first stage of the project is implemented at the
Vajira Sri Children’s Development Center. The project is designed to focus and
develop the growth of various cultural communities by creating a platform or
opportunities to support each other.
In this process interaction and interconnection
of nature and culture is
focused. And, these are taken as sources of knowledge. Through the art based
activities, new meanings, values will be generated. The project seeks for
sustainable development of various communities that come together through
creative activities.
Interactive sessions based on Art, Drama , Music between Artists
and children
Australian artist
Margie Medlin’s workshop - Photography and story telling
Graffiti with French Artist
Rane
Skill Exchange Program
Local and international artists from Australia,
UK, France conducted various art, drama and music activities with the children
to enhance their senses; sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
During the process children
and adults had opportunities to think and feel while they explore, solve
problems, express their ideas. They also interpreted and evaluated the process
and the results. Both the children and adults exchanged their skills and
knowledge while planning and developing the project together.
Children respond how to survive in an island.
Based on the results of this activity children developed their ideas to create
an interactive educational play area
An activity based on
Ubuntu (philosophy)
'I AM BECAUSE WE ARE'.
Children build up the ideas how to connect with diverse communities to
develop the Api project to the next level
Children making their own toys out of discarded
toys collected from diverse communities engaging with the project
CoCA, embarking on one of the most radical overhauls in
modern education. CoCA , phase out teaching individual subjects such as Art,
Math, Chemistry, History , Geography and Physics, and instead teach students by
'topics' or broad phenomena, so that there's no more question about
"what's the point of learning this?”
Reflective sessions and discussion with Vajira
Home Community about the project.
Reflective sessions and discussion with Vajira
Home Community about the project.
Developing ideas to learn about organic farming
at the vajira home
based
on children ideas and imagination
SriCert organic certification service body , with the long standing experiences and considerable reputation among
environmental circle in Sri Lanka join hands with the project to support to develop the community garden at the Vajira Home.
Organic Farming training session with SriCert organic certification service body
Field Visit and training session at the Puttalm
Framers
Api Priject exhibition at
graduation exhibition of Raffle Art and Design Institute
University of Visual and Performanc Art, JDA Pereira
Gallery.
Making the exhibits with recycled materials…
Interactive educational garden and play area
Presented with recycled material, poems, essays,
drawings, paintings and toys.
British School students connected with the project
as part of their ongoing service component in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
program.
During the community
Roundtable discussion students at the BSC planed out the project along with the
children form Vajira Home on how to proceed to the next level with mutual
understanding and respect to each other. Inspired by the project 'Api' British
school children decided to start a
community garden at the school.
Vajira Home Children’s visit to the Raffle’s Saviskar Design exhibition
Field Visit to Wilpattu National park- sponsored by Puttalam Framers
