Most children's charities treat physical needs..but what about their emotional needs?

The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) raises this very important question.

'The ACMF is a not-for-profit organisation that provides music instruments and programs for disadvantaged and Indigenous children and youth in schools, remote communities and juvenile justice centres across Australia. Research has proven that participation in music has a significant impact on a child’s mental health and development.' - ACMF

Just Art for a Just City

An interesting read.....

Just Art for a Just City: Public Art and Social Inclusion in Urban Regeneration

Author: Joanne Sharp, Venda Pollock and Ronan Paddison

Urban Studies, Vol. 42, Nos 5/6, 1001– 1023, May 2005

Desert Pea Media

I was first drawn to Desert Pea Media when I heard about their Hip-Hop program. However upon closer investigation this program is just the tip of the iceberg of the invaluable work this organisation does for remote indigenous communities in Australia.

Desert Pea Media is an incorporated, non-profit association established in 2002 as a tool to bring people of all cultures together in Australia through art and storytelling, with a focus on remote and isolated communities.

'Directed by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, they facilitate media and arts programs in remote communities around Australia and the world.' - Desert Pea Media

Study the art of inclusion in Brighton

At the University of Brighton in the UK you can study a Masters in Inclusive Arts Practice.

'Our Inclusive Arts Practice MA at the University of Brighton is aimed at artists or individuals with an arts background who are working in the arts, health, education or community sector.'

Where the hell is Matt?

This guy will make you want to jump up and start busting a move. He is living proof of how the arts (in this case the art of dance) can rapidly inject such positive energy into a community. Just goes to show that the simplest ideas are often the most effective and profound.

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

musica viva - music to inspire

Earlier this year I worked with Karen Kyriakou from musica viva through the 'musician in the classroom program' while working as the Performing Arts Coordinator at Richmond West Primary School, Melbourne.

At Richmond West there are many children that can benefit greatly from a program such as this especially those living in the neighboring housing commission blocks.

I learnt a great deal from Karen about how to make music more accessible for kids especially through body and instrumental percussion. For our grade 3/4 classes the goal was for the children to compose their own percussion piece, I would then record these pieces and use them as the basis for two online videos. Our grade 6 class had the same goal in addition to composing their graduation song with the help of Karen's expertise in composition.

I was inspired to hear of Karen's past teaching experiences, delivering inclusive music programs for children from other lower socioeconomic areas in Melbourne as well children with special needs.

See below two animations I produced based on the percussion pieces the children created with Karen.



Year 5 Percussion Music Video - Musica Viva 2011 from Richmond West PS on Vimeo.


Year 6 Percussion Music Video - Musica Viva from Richmond West PS on Vimeo.

Crocheting recycled bags generates income for Gambian Women

Recycling by crocheting plastic bags lays the foundation for a brilliant community arts project. Not only does such a project promote environmentally sustainable practice but it provides developing communities with entrepreneurial opportunities as demonstrated in this video from Gambia Rising. When searching crocheting plastic bags on Youtube I found a number of examples of non profits using this technique as well as instructional videos to get you started.

Cities and Their Citizens: Fostering Civic Engagement through the Arts

'Governments, universities, nonprofits and others have turned to the arts to navigate complex conversations about social cohesion, race and class, education and participation, and civic identity. This panel focuses on the invaluable role of arts in civic life.'  - University of Chicago

Social impact of the Arts project - University of Pennsylvania

It is obvious that the Arts lends itself to community development and social inclusion but quantifying and clearly articulating the benefits of community art and cultural initiatives can often prove difficult. Nineteen years ago the Social Impact of the Arts Project (SIAP) a research group from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia started to use statistical analysis and qualitative investigation to identify social impacts at the neighborhood level.

"We began in 1994 to ask questions about and develop methods to examine the impact of the arts and culture on community life. Our research focuses on the relationship of the arts to community change, with a particular interest in strategies for arts-based neighborhood revitalization and social inclusion."

When it comes to applying for grant funding and justifying the merit of art based community projects such research is invaluable.

Check out these websites for more information.
www.sp2.upenn.edu/SIAP/
http://www.trfund.com/resource/creativity.html

Tiny Toones in Cambodia

An inspirational example of how creative programs can be used to help provide a better quality of life for all youth, allowing them to reach their full potential.

http://www.tinytoones.org/

Theatre project has dramatic effect on Lebanon jail

"Prisoners say the theatre gives them a form of escape from their time in prison."

For a few hours each week forgotten men of Roumiyeh, a crowded prison near Beirut enter a world beyond the bars. Learn more about this inspiring theatre project.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-12-24/theatre-project-has-dramatic-effect-on-lebanon-jail/249472

Up on Top - Creative Arts Programs for Disadvantaged Kids

Up On Top provides after school care and summer educational programs for more than 90 of San Francisco’s most disadvantaged kindergarteners to fifth graders, who live primarily in the Tenderloin and Western Addition districts.

Up On Top’s mission is to offer hope, stability, and fun to children of low-income families in San Francisco, preparing them to be successful in school and in life.

What struck me about this organisation is their use of creative arts programs to increase the children's confidence and help develop their literacy, problem solving and interpersonal skills.

Learn more about their great work at http://www.upontop.org/index.htm

The arts & disability sectors - working together for mutual benefit

Some of Australia's leading disability arts practitioners met up in Brisbane in October for the Intersections arts and disability forum.

http://www.arts.qld.gov.au/artsupdate/2011/september/arts-disability-sector.html

Building cultural harmony and wellbeing

Cultural Infusion is a not-for-profit organisation that works in education, youth, communities and the arts to promote cultural harmony and wellbeing for a more cohesive and richer society. Cultural Infusion is dedicated to promoting equality, social justice and encouraging a broader understanding of culture across our community for the benefit of all.

Art for Social Action - Art Corps

ArtCorps is a dynamic social enterprise using the arts to advance social change in developing countries. Each year, ArtCorps sends volunteer professional artists to support the environmental, public health and human rights initiatives of Central American organizations. During their one- to two- year placements, the artists use murals, theater, stories, puppetry and other creative facilitation techniques to educate and inspire people to participate actively in improving their communities. ArtCorps artists train both community members and organization staff in our field-tested Art for Social Action methodology. Since 2000, ArtCorps has sent 49 artists from around the world to train more than 20 different organizations in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to incorporate art and culture as a tool for engagement and empowerment, impacting over 50,000 people in more than 180 communities.

Theater for Change from ArtCorps on Vimeo.

Murals of Memory from ArtCorps on Vimeo.

(Information taken from ArtCorps Vimeo Account)

National Social Inclusion Forum

This national forum is themed Building Inclusive Societies: Multiculturalism, Citizenship, Identity. It will be held on 7 October in Melbourne at the Melbourne Town Hall, with the Post- Forum Reception at the Immigration Museum.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/ccg/events/conferences/11-ibis/index.php

Information taken from http://www.socialinclusion.gov.au/node/161

Focusing on mental health and wellbeing through the lens of art - The Dax Centre

The Dax Centre delivers an innovative range of exhibitions and education and public programs in order to promote mental health and wellbeing.

The Dax Centre works to foster a greater understanding of the mind, mental illness and trauma through art and creativity. It is home to the Cunningham Dax Collection, an invaluable collection of over 15,000 works created by people with an experience of mental illness and trauma.

Programs coming up soon include:
-  Melancholia: Artist and curator in conversation - Konrad Winkler and Charlotte Christie, Thursday 23 June 2011

- Professional Development for Teachers of Psychology, Friday 30 June 2011

Current exhibition:

Melancholia

Often understood as an artistic, introspective or poetic mood, melancholia is also used to describe states of sadness, mourning and depression. This exhibition explores the concept of melancholia, its relationship with depression and links to creativity.

21 April - 21 October 2011

The Dax Centre, 35 Poplar Road Parkville, VIC

Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 1-5pm

Free

(taken from Dax Centre website http://www.daxcentre.org/)

Theatre of the Oppressed - Participatory Theatre

Theatre of the Oppressed was devised by the Brazilian artist and activist Augusto Boal. Boal believed that theatre could be used as a powerful tool for social change. This series of participatory theatre techniques involves spectators becoming part of the performance hence the term "spect-actors".
As stated on the http://www.theatreoftheoppressed.org/ website Theatre of the Oppressed or
TO for short is "of, about, by and for the Oppressed".

Check out these useful websites

http://www.thirdwaytheatre.org/
http://www.makhampom.net/
http://www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk/
http://www.actout.com.au/
http://actout.com.au/blog/
http://www.ptoweb.org/
http://www.toplab.org/

Experimenting with a Voki

What's a Voki and how they can be useful?

Voki is a free service that allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages.

After exploring this innovative ICT education tool with my practicum year 3/4 class, I got to thinking about how vokis could be implemented in inclusive art programs targeted towards primary school aged audiences.

Vokis lend themselves to:
- self expression
- presenting key messages in a new and engaging way (a great tool for connecting with typically disengaged participants. It's the hook educators have been looking for)
- developing literacy competence especially in terms of spelling. (When participants type the script for their avatars they need to spell accurately unless it will not work).


Check out the website http://www.voki.com/