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Al-Ahram Weekly 7 - 13 September 2000 Issue No. 498 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 7 - 13 September 2000 Issue No. 498
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters
Imagine all the children
By Rania Khallaf
A three-day exhibition was organised recently by the General Administration of Children's Culture (GACC), affiliated to the General Organisation for Children's Culture. It is quite unusual for the Opera House to show children's artwork, so the event immediately attracted the attention of many art lovers, writers, and media personalities. Three societies were involved: the Heliopolis Society for Deaf-Mute Children, SOS (Save Our Souls) and Dar Al-Hana, the latter two orphanages. Visitors came in droves.
design by 12-year-old Ahmed Samir Mahmoud;
below right: spotting one's contribution is an exciting moment
it is not always easy to explain, but head of the Culture Palaces Ali Abu Shadi has all the time in the world to listen;
photos: Khaled El-FiqiMahmoud Abdel-Aziz, 12, speaks in sign language; he loves drawing and printing. He and his companions seemed thrilled to be participating in such an important event. His sister Amira, one of the few girls whose work was being shown, told me that she only liked to draw trees and people. "I am very happy today," she signed, "and I wish to come here every year."
Most of the exhibits by the members of the Society for Deaf-Mute Children were print works on paper and cloth, designed with the help of modern printing techniques. They were inspired by simple themes, often removed from the children's daily experience. Trees, birds, and children were portrayed in different styles and sizes, using pretty pastels -- mainly different degrees of green. Minerva Shafiq, a supervisor, said that around 20 children aged between six and 16 are trained by the society in modern printing techniques. "Although we are the sole organisation caring for hearing-impaired children in Egypt, people hardly know anything about us. The Ministry of Culture never pays us any attention when we request cultural services," she complained. "The number of deaf people in Egypt is estimated at two million. We cannot ignore them," she added.
A group of SOS orphans worked together to produce a drawing of an enormous and very colourful tree. "I will tell you the story of this tree," said 12-year-old Youssri Maher. "We made up its story, then every one of us drew a part of it. I drew this boy, who is standing beside it. The boy wants to kick the cat, because she wants to climb the tree and eat the little bird," he added, pointing.
Rawya Sabri, supervisor of cultural activities at SOS, said: "This is the first time our children are participating in a cultural event like this. I think they benefited a lot. It is also a first for orphans to participate in an art exhibition at the Opera House. This venue usually only features big names. An annual art exhibition for children with special needs should be a priority," she added.
The exhibition was the fruit of coordinated efforts. Material support was offered, and a trained team of specialised artists was dispatched to a number of societies that care for children with special needs. The team worked closely with the children. "This workshop was in a sense a psychological remedy," according to Soheir Abdel-Fattah, general manager of (GACC). "We are planning to organise a similar workshop for mentally challenged children next month," she added.
"Searching for hidden creative capabilities inside every child and helping him or her to express them: this was the main aim behind this workshop," said Iman Mustafa, assistant professor at the Faculty of Art Education and a member of the team of artists who helped the children prepare their contributions. And this, perhaps, is the most important message of all.
