Together with refugee students that were interested to our group art work, we discussed, painted and get more familiar with self-evaluation activities.

“The symbol” activity is addressed to self-knowledge, communication and expression of desires. The needed time is 1 hour and the place has to be protected and relaxed.

We need copies of a printed shield, where we ask from the learners to paint or do a collage:

Top left- what do you enjoy to do on your spare time

Top right- what are you proud for yourself

Bottom left- a bad moment you would like to forget

Bottom right- how do you dream yourself

We are divided into couples and discuss our creations. We have some minutes to listen to the other, and some to talk about ours. At the end, we hang them and everyone can see all the shields.

The facilitator encourages the learners to work as a part of an exercise and not of an artistic laboratory.

It was a very interesting activity, putting people react together, in mixed languages, coming from different cultures and expecting from themselves the best result. It was a hot afternoon of May 16th, were the refugee students struggle with future expectations of their lifes and ARTS learners with how people deal with them.

In 22nd of November the group of CHROMATODROMOS arranged one more self-evaluation experiential workshop called “Meeting with the wise”.

It is an exercise for self-awareness, about guided imagination. Here are the instructions of our trainer:

“Make yourself feel comfortable, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. With each exhalation, leave all the tensions and relax more and more. Νow let your inner appetite drive you out of this room. You are walking in a path, in the woods. You can hear sounds. You can smell. You feel relaxed and calm. You come to an opening. There is a fire in the middle. A wise man is seating next to the fire and is waiting. You are getting closer. Is she or he? What is he/she wearing?…

You can ask him/her only one question. When you are ready, you are doing the question. You are listening to his/her answer. You are staying a bit longer with him/her. You are thanking him/her for his/her help and you are ready to go. He/she hugs you and gives you a souvenir for your meeting. What is it?

You are going back to the path again. You can feel the power that the present and his/her words are giving you. You are back to the room again. Open your eyes slowly…

Use a paper to write whatever you want to keep from this meeting. Discuss your thoughts for 10 minutes in couples.”

The group of the participants was feeling very happy to have one more game! N. said that it was one more great opportunity to learn more about ourselves, about our perspectives!

The group of CHROMATODROMOS from ANTIGONE went out, to watch the great movie o”Loving Vincent”! It’s a biographical animated drama film about the life of painter Vincent van Gogh, and in particular, the circumstances of his death. It is the first fully painted animated feature film.

Here is the link of the movie, to check it out: http://lovingvincent.com/

We were inspired by all these great 65.000 frames in oil paints. Later, we discussed the group’s dynamics and ambitions for a future exhibition. We decided that in spring we will organize a new exhibition, for the process of the group, with our story. It was a discussion that was always coming back for the last months, after this great evolution of the project’s dynamics. All the self-assesment sessions concluded the need of the participants to come out, express themselves, take off the stigma of the mental illness.

In the framework of ARTABILITY  project, ANTIGONE had created a virtual museum, exhibiting the works of the participants.

ARTS project continues the experience of the previous workshops, providing the opportunity to people watch the improvement of the participants’ work, their willing to continue creating and their attempt to come out.

Download the application and follow the instructions:

http://www.artability.eu/news/post.php?id=7

During the meeting of this Wednesday, Nikos, was inspired by cubism. After finishing his painting, he wanted to create a challenge for the group; he asked from us to find the connection among the 3 figures and we could manage to keep the painting for us!

It was his way to start thinking about others point of view and different techniques.

Can you?

Solution: All the figures are the same, just in different order!

The mask session that took place in the TLA of Thessaloniki is still alive, decorating ANTIGONE’s corridor! The same day, after collecting all the masterpieces, we directly used them to keep this partnership strong and vivid.

Everyday we can face the combination of CHROMATODROMO’s paintings with our partners’ artistic gifts!