ArtReach Pilot Project: Swaziland High School for the Deaf

Phase 1: June - August 2012

Interim Report

Written by Dane Armstrong

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

PREFACE
This document outlines the activities, participants and results of the Yebo! ArtReach pilot project at the Swaziland High School for the Deaf, as well as reflections from the facilitators and teachers. This is a brief interim report based on the first phase of the project, which ran from the 27th June to the 10th August 2012. A more in-depth final report on the project will be written during the third phase, before the 31st December 2012.

CONTENTS
OUTLINE ArtReach Swaziland High School for the Deaf Vocational Class Teachers Artists Timeframe PHASE 1 Timeframe & Activities Participants ArtReach Team RESULTS Personal & Group Development Positives Negatives Methods Learned & Physical Results Transformed Spaces Donors Other Results CONCLUSION PHASE 2 PHASE 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

OUTLINE
ArtReach
Yebo! ArtReach was registered in March 2012 as non-profit association under Section 17 of the Swaziland Companies Act 8, 2009. It was founded as an extension of Yebo! Art Gallery to address the lack of arts education and creative platforms for the youth of Swaziland. Vision: To support and develop the arts and creative expression in Swaziland through various grassroots projects and initiatives. Mission: Develop the creative economy of Swaziland by promoting the arts and using creative skills training as a tool for fostering social and personal growth, development and fulfillment. In order to assess the need and possibilities for the long-term existence of ArtReach it was deemed necessary to undertake a pilot project at a specific location. The main idea behind this would be to spend a significant amount of time in one location, working together with local artists to run workshops in various artistic mediums and skills-training methods. This would then be thoroughly documented and critiqued in order to develop a realistic, pragmatic and affordable approach to introducing arts, creative skills-training and art education to coordinated youth groups or schools in Swaziland. In May 2012 ArtReach successfully managed to reach the fundraising goal for the pilot project, and began planning and working towards commencing the initiative. The project was made possible by financial assistance from The US Embassy of Swaziland, the Sahee Foundation, and the 59 individual/group donors on the ArtReach Indiegogo.com page.

Swaziland High School for the Deaf

While developing an outline for the pilot project, ArtReach was approached by a Skillshare volunteer at the High School for the Deaf, Stephen Chappell, who was involved in creating an art class and syllabus for the school. After an initial visit, it became clear that the school was the perfect location for the first ArtReach project; The school was still in its developing stages, meaning that the amount of teachers and students had not yet reached capacity; The facilities were excellent, but seriously underused; The teachers and students were excited and willing, yet had no formal experience or training to guide them; The students had already begun basic drawing classes and were excited about a class and schedule solely devoted to the arts; The school was willing to adjust its own timetables to allow for the implementation of the ArtReach classes; Accommodation was available for artists and facilitators. All of these heavily influenced the decision to use the High School for the Deaf as the partner and location for the first ArtReach project!

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

Vocational Class
Though the school officially follows the national curriculum structure, it still largely tries to make alternative plans for the educational and skills development of some of its students. Being primarily a vocational school, they have created a formal Vocational Class of 17 students (out of 48), who are deemed to be very far behind academically, and are thus urged towards pursuing more occupational studies. Though ArtReach would work with the whole school during the project, this vocational class, together with their art teacher Pholile Malaza, would become the primary focus of the pilot project.

Teachers
One of the main goals of the project would be to work together with the teacher(s) at the school in order to maximize the sustainability and continuation of the project. The teachers, where possible, would be involved with as much of the planning and physical workshops so that they would be capable of continuing the classes in their own time, and after the completion of the project. A link would then be made for possibilities of future training, workshops and follow-up sessions at either the school or ArtReach facilities. Other workers at the school (hostel heads, maintenance workers, etc) would also be allowed to participate in classes wherever possible.

Artists
ArtReach would work together with local artists to run the workshops at the school, providing them with paid employment. These artists would either run or assist in a workshop that was in their field of expertise, or would then assist in a volunteer capacity in workshops in which they themselves hoped to learn the skills being taught. This would be done in order to help the artists further their own development through participating in a full-scale project, learning new skills, assisting in various activities and mentoring Swazi youth (the sharing of skills and knowledge).

Timeframe
The pilot project was divided into four phases: Planning Phase: Phase 1: Phase 2: Phase 3: June 13th June 27th June 27th August 10th (Implementation - School term 2) Sept. 25th Nov. 30th (Implementation - School term 3) Nov. 1st Dec. 31st (Report writing & syllabus compilation)

The implementation time at the school over Phase 1 & 2 would be a minimum of ten weeks (extensions reliant on further funding), with two full, consecutive days at the school each week. Artists and facilitators would stay at the school overnight to reduce transport costs.

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

PHASE 1
Timeframe & Activities
2nd term of the School calendar: June 27th August 10th ArtReach occurred for 6-consecutive weeks, 2 full days a week Wednesdays 10:00 20:00 & Thursdays 08:00 16:00

WEEK 0: Wed 27th June Introduction day Welcome to ArtReach! Group & individual painting, collaborative screen-printed banner, individual printing, art-room wall mural Vocational class, artists, teachers and volunteers

WEEK 1: Wed 4th & Thurs 5th July Group 1: Screen-printing, drawing & design Printing own designs on bags & cloth Group 2: Fabric & Textiles Creating design and patterns for own clothing/fashion

WEEK 2: Wed 11th & Thurs 12th July Group 1: Screen-printing, drawing & design Printing own T-shirts and cloth Group 2: Fabric & Textiles Creating and finalizing own fashion/clothing item

WEEK 3: Wed 18th & Thurs 19th July Groups Swap* Group 1: Fabric & Textiles Creating design and patterns for own clothing/fashion Group 2: Screen-printing, drawing & design Printing own designs on bags & cloth

WEEK 4: Thurs 26th July (Wednesday cancelled due to teachers strike) Group 2: Fabric & Textiles Creating and finalizing own fashion/clothing item Group 2: Screen-printing, drawing & design Printing own T-shirts and cloth

WEEK 5: Wed 1st & Thurs 2nd August Groups Merge*

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report Photography Individual and group photo shoots of completed items in fashion and printing (photos printed and distributed to the group) Mural The River of Life Concept, design, wall preparation, application of both enamel paint and mosaic

WEEK 6: Wed 8th & Thurs 9th August Mural Continuation & completion of River of Life Photography Photoshoot of end of term group, completed works, & mural

Participants
The Vocational Class (16 students) was the primary focus, although every Wednesday all teachers and students were welcome to participate in the workshops. For most of the workshops the class was divided into two groups in order to optimize the time and attention in each workshop. These groups would then swap each week once their project was complete. Other members of staff (groundsmen, catering, etc) also participated in several of the workshops.

ArtReach Team
Coordinators & Facilitators Peter Armstrong, Dane Armstrong, Khulekani Msweli, Signhild Brosvik Artists Bhekani Dlamini, Thabo Lukhele, Ray Berman , Joseph Mushipi, Obed Chipwepwe Volunteers (part-time) Katlin Sandvik, Anne-Caroline Franklin, Steve Chappell

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

RESULTS
Personal & Group Development
One of the most important characteristics of the project has been the creation of tangible objects. Artwork that the students have made is physically real, and is something that they can either take home with them (printed bags), or is a permanent fixture at the school (murals). These serve as reminders of their work and creative abilities, and have played a large part in keeping the students engaged and willing. Theres nothing quite like making something that is yours. The response, whether as groups or individuals, has been wonderful. The group dynamics have changed immensely so far, according to their teacher Pholile: Our expectations have been exceeded. You can tell from the expression of the pupils. Most of them were short tempered before now they are calm. They would get frustrated in class, and start fighting. But now they are less frustrated. It is as if their spirit is at peace. They are working much better together now, as well as in their other classes. Another teacher, Thabsile Kunene, said This project has made us realize that the problem may be with the curriculum for children with disabilities and not the children themselves, because after the art classes, their new fondness for school, a place that had previously frustrated them, is showing up in their other work. This is something we hope to examine in more detail at the end of the project after getting thorough feedback from all the participants and artists.

Positives
The response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive. The enthusiasm from the students was apparent right from the beginning, and resulted in very swift transfers of knowledge and practice, allowing for a continuous flow of learning and creating. Workshops thus moved much faster than expected, allowing for the introduction of more techniques and practices, as well as the participation of more students (and maintenance staff) than expected (e.g. expected results from a workshop for 16 students in 2 weeks was met by 35 students in only one week!). The mural, in paint and mosaic, is a clear example of the whole group working together, quickly and enthusiastically, to create a fun and dynamic working environment with amazing (and big) results. Likewise, the participation of the artists has been excellent. They have really engaged with the students and the work, allowing for a dynamic exchange of knowledge (learning sign language from the eager students, for example) and ideas. The issue of communication was never a problem, even when teachers or interpreters were not present. The students are quick to grasp all meaning, and once one of them understands, they quickly explain and share with the rest of the class. Their focus and determination eased any communication blocks that could possibly have existed.

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report The quality of the ideas and the final works have been very high, with all of the students reaching their targets in each workshop, i.e. completed pieces, both as individuals and groups. Goals reached: Having fun!; Total student participation and engagement; Learning how to work together and in groups; Mutual learning environment created; Successful introduction and implementation of all workshops and mediums; Completion of all started classes, artwork & murals; Completion of first phase far-within expected timeframe and budget.

Negatives
Teacher participation was unfortunately very low. This is mainly due the nationwide teachers strike (for better pay and conditions) that occurred during the months of July and August. As a result we only really had participation from the art teacher, Pholile, which was even curtailed on many occasions. The teachers were either absent from the school entirely, or were extremely distracted and absent-minded when present. These extenuating circumstances affected the whole country, so it is difficult to lay any blame on the teachers for this. Since it is a boarding school, all the students were present every week and their housing and food was taken care of. This meant that for at least 5 weeks, the ArtReach project was the only activity other than sport that was occurring at the school (resulting in the unexpectedly large turnout for our classes each week). This put extra pressure on the ArtReach team, as well as the material that we had allocated for the students. Planning of classes became difficult due to the fluctuating numbers and absence of teachers, but due to the attitude and perseverance of the students most communication and logistics issues were sorted through hands on interaction and just getting on with it. Goals not reached: Substantial teacher participation; Proper coordination of each class in terms of numbers and exact materials used; Constant interpreter availability; Class excursion for the term; Theatre workshop.

Methods Learned & Physical Results

Extensive introductory workshops and practical experience in: Drawing & Painting Line, tone & texture, colour mixing, free-expression and regulated drawing/painting o Each created several personal & group paintings of various sizes Screen-printing Designing/cutting stencils, lettering, preparing screens, printing various material, mixing colours, exposing screens, etc o The entire school personally designed and printed bags, cloth and tshirts, including a large collaborative banner containing all faces

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report Fabric & Textile Design Working with various material and fabric, using sewing machines and accessories, designing patterns and final products, etc o Creating a new shirt or dress from old clothing and new cloth! Mural painting Preparing a surface, conceptualizing a design, and working together to paint a large-scale collaborative mural on an outdoor surface o Completed 2 artist murals and 1 school collaboration mural Mosaic Preparing the surface, preparing tiles and found objects, making designs, mixing cement, applying mosaic, cleaning/finalizing the wall o Effective mosaic of 4 separate walls of 2x2m each Brief introduction to: Photography Composing a scene and thinking about backgrounds, backdrops and emotions involved Digital media How to create stencils and screens from photographs on the computer

Transformed Spaces
The creation and metamorphosis of the art class o Bringing structure to the class, organizing the storage room, office and separate work-spaces o Large, permanent mural on the wall, blackboard painted walls for student interaction, displaying all the completed work, ink-stains on the floors, walls and furniture for added character! Large school reception/office mural o Welcome in sign language, above two portraits of a male and female student at the school in their uniforms, working at a desk The River of Life Mural o A completely interactive and large scale mural using enamel and PVA paint and mosaic that covers 12 different wall faces (total area about 32m x 2m) completed in 3 days by over 30 participants Completed artwork on display in the art class, principals office, school hall and office block

Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

Donors
Financial The United States Embassy of Swaziland Sahee Foundation Indiegogo Online Funders

Material Dups Insurance Swaziland Cloth, fabric and wood Standard Traders Cloth and fabric Waste Centre Cloth and fabric Guava Gallery Beads and jewellery tools Buildit Extra discounts on all purchased material

Other Results
New website for all ArtReach information, news and projects! o www.yeboswaziland.com - to launch by the end of October 2012 Various media articles before and during the project o The Times of Swaziland, The Observer, and the UN IRIN Network all highlighting ArtReach, the School, the Students & the Donors o http://www.irinnews.org/printreport.aspx?reportid=96447 Artwork & project exhibition the Swaziland Miss Deaf Pageant 2012

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Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report

CONCLUSION
The pilot project has largely been an amazing success, and we have managed to run a number of highly productive and interactive workshops. Interviews and feedback from the teachers, artists and students has all been very positive, highlighting (for us) the reasons why the project began in the first place. It has been a lot of fun for everyone involved, alongside the measurable training and new skills that the participants have now acquired. They are far more interactive, creative and happy, according to them and their teachers, and are really looking forward to continuing the work they have begun in the months to come. Despite the obstacles of nationwide strikes and uncertainty, we hope to persevere in the third term, and work towards reaching all of our targets. Though there are many indicators that the project has so far been a very worthwhile investment for all involved, there are two main reasons we know we are doing something important and worthwhile for the students: Each day they go to lunch late, and come back from lunch early! During the weeks of the teachers strike there was a lot of uncertainty in the air, and the students were not formally expected to return to class each week. Yet on Tuesday evenings every single one of the students returned to hostel in anticipation of ArtReach classes the next morning

PHASE 2
Sept. 25th Nov. 30th (Implementation - School term 3) The second phase of the ArtReach workshops will occur during the third term of the school calendar year. The same timeframe of 1-3 full days each week will occur during this period, for a minimum of 6 consecutive weeks. Extra weeks may be added on due to further donations of material and time (in the form of volunteer artist participation at the school). The classroom workshops will be for the first 6 weeks, including: Carpentry & metal work, Paper-making, Graffiti & stencil making, Papier mache, Sculpting (clay, wire and paper), Lino & woodprinting, Lifedrawing & painting, Murals and mosaic After the completion of these initial 6 weeks the project will continue until the end of the term through the continuation of the collaborative murals and third party

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Yebo! ArtReach - Pilot Project: Phase 1 Interim Report workshops facilitated by ArtReach (group excursion, theatre and dance workshop, etc). The second phase will culminate in a group exhibition of completed artwork at Yebo! Art Gallery for two weeks in November. This will be used to highlight and promote the project and the participants, with all proceeds from any sales going directly towards buying further material for the art department at the school.

PHASE 3
Nov. 1st Dec. 31st (Report writing & syllabus compilation) This phase will be devoted to the following: Compiling and writing the final report of the project Final financial overview and report Using the pilot project as the basis for researching and writing a concise proposal for an effective and pragmatic way of formally introducing visual arts into high schools in Swaziland Creating a clear and effective syllabus for the Deaf School to use this will be based on all the workshops conducted during the ArtReach project Future project proposal for the next ArtReach project!

FOR MORE INFORMATION & PICTURES PLEASE VISIT: www.yeboswaziland.com www.indiegogo.com/artreachswaziland www.facebook.com/yeboartreach www.flickr.com/photos/yeboartreach

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