MUSCAT – Several special needs children from the Early Intervention Centre joyfully splashed into a world of colours recently creating special works of art that will be soon displayed to the public.
Public display on December 5
These children created magic with their own unique expressions of art through two workshops designing 75 works of art. These art pieces, along with other paintings, will be displayed at the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) on International Volunteer Day on December 5, this year, organisers said.
Riot of colours
“They expressed themselves in a riot of colours – comparable to Jackson Pollock (*)!” enthused SHINUNA AL ESRY, the brain behind this initiative, in a brief talk with Black & White. “It was a riot of spontaneous and frenzied splash of colours,” said Shinuna, workplace architect in the corporate real estate of the PDO. Shinuna, who is the focal point in initiating the ‘You and Me’ art project with participating volunteers from PDO and external participants within the Baader Initiative, added that the young painters lost their inhibitions and their limited mobility and totally immersed themselves in a world of colour.
Creating more awareness
They have collected other paintings from volunteers, making a good number for an exhibition, Shinuna said. “We aim to exhibit multiple paintings on December 5 (International Volunteer Day). It is being done mainly to provide more awareness to these children as well as raise money by selling these paintings where all proceeds will go to the Early Intervention Centre,” she said.
EXCERPTS:
Please detail this art for special needs children project from the start. What exactly was the idea that you projected to the Baader Initiative (*1) and how did they take it?
I had initiated an art project 24 years ago (in 2000), involving children with special needs entitled ‘You and Me’. This was to involve all children with special needs and children without special needs from schools to create a large papier mache artwork. I received a lot of support from both Omani and expatriate artist friends. It was also taken under the Muscat Municipality as part of the Muscat Festival. This project was a huge success and I was constantly requested by well-meaning and creative friends to initiate another one.
In 2023, I saw the corporate communication team in our organisation announcing the Baader Initiative requesting PDO staff to volunteer their skills, hobbies and time. I was very interested, as they were requesting volunteers for the Early Intervention Centre. I registered and asked for a meeting with Baader colleagues. I presented my idea of an art workshop to be entitled ‘You and Me’. They really liked it, and I was told to present it to the social responsibility department in our organisation. And it was approved. They were a huge support by providing a budget for art materials.
Coming back to the idea, please detail as to why you decided to come up with such a project?
I frequently associate myself with artist friends who have had multiple exposures working with special needs children. And we wanted an art project that encompassed all children — in fact even blind children were involved by creating artwork from papier mache pulp. When we undertook the project in 2000, we visited almost all centres in Oman, as far as Mirbat, Taqa, Ibra, Sohar, BidBid etc.
So, you have been supporting special needs children in Oman in some way and this is not your first-ever project that you have outlined for them?
This is not the first time. The first one was on a national scale. I also undertook another project in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2004, based on the same idea, involving school children and children with special needs and had the same title ‘You and Me Art Project’
The title of the project is ‘You and Me’ – kindly explain what this means in this context?
‘You and Me’ literally means just that: you and me together – the ‘you’ can be anyone and ‘me’ can come from anyone. It is said that art therapy for special needs children can help explore their untapped creativity, assist in addressing emotional challenges and build self-esteem in them.
How exactly will this art project help the children with special needs?
We experience first-hand the sense of happiness from children with special needs by involving them in the art project, allowing them to feel a sense of pride in creating something that they can call their own. Furthermore, I believe their creative ability is further ignited in art projects. They, in fact, suggest more creative ideas on their own artwork.
‘Art, in all its various forms, can provide a safe and supportive environment for special needs children to explore, communicate, and grow.’ Could we say that initiatives like the one you have undertaken, along with the Baader Initiative, will explore such important aspects too?
Absolutely, without a doubt! As mentioned earlier, it empowers the children with special needs by providing a sense of independence and control over their creative expressions.
How exactly will this current project help in supporting the needs of the special needs children in Oman?
We have had two workshops with children with special needs (from the children of the Early Intervention Centre) and have collected paintings from each participating child. Plus, we have collected other paintings from volunteers. We aim to exhibit these paintings on December 5 mainly to provide more awareness to these children as well as raise money by selling them, where all proceeds will go to the Early Intervention Centre.
You may have witnessed the painting efforts of these special needs’ children… Do you think these children who partook in the workshops were expressing themselves in a riot of colours?
Absolutely! The proof is in the pudding itself. They are comparable to Jackson Pollack with riots of spontaneous and frenzied splash of colours!
(*) Jackson Pollock was an influential American painter, and the leading force behind the abstract expressionist movement in the art world. (Net)
(*1) The Baader initiative is PDO’s volunteering programme aimed at providing governmental and non-governmental organisations the opportunity to utilise the expertise of PDO employees.
The initiative also aims to raise awareness regarding volunteering and encourages people within and outside of PDO to increase their commitment to society. (Net)
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