Topic outline

  • Protest art

    Introduction

    Students are usually aware of the abuse of power and favoritism in society, but often feel powerless to do anything about it. Using art as a form of expression allows them to explore their ideas, portray problems, visualize solutions, and experience them as if they were already happening. Art can be seen as a dress rehearsal for transforming society.

    1. Show the following video or other examples of how young people have used art to speak out. http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuBxl364Ft0&noredirect=1
    2. Discuss the role of art in youth culture, films. Give examples of other settings in which art is used effectively by students.
    3. Split the group into teams of 6 – 8 people.
    4. Ask each team to discuss the role of power and privilege in modern society. Where is this evident and what are the key visible components?
    5. Through art, such as theater or a video, have each team express their views on the issues of power and privilege discussed and show proposed solutions.

    Helping students and their teachers or supervisors use art for social change.

    Students learn to use art to explore social issues and propose solutions in a form that is easy to understand and has a great impact on the audience.

    Flipchart, lots of room to move around and materials to recycle.

    Ask students how they felt about expressing themselves through art. Is this going to help, in their view, to counteract abuse of power and cronyism. What else could they do?

  • LABYRINTH

    Labyrinth

    Introduction

    Walking through a labyrinth feels like moving along in a “vortex” toward inner understanding of each person’s personal path. Each year the class or group lays its own labyrinth. Creating and/or walking a labyrinth, with its spiral geometric shapes, has the potential to shift the perspective of those who work on it

    1. Lay the stones or sprinkle the lime in a labyrinth pattern (see examples).
    2. Make sure the paths are wide enough to walk comfortably.
    3. Note that the circles do not close themselves.
    4. Lay the opening to the east.
    5. Place a small (symbolic) object in the center.
    6. Make sure the labyrinth does not cross existing paths of animals and people.
    7. Finally, have students slowly and meditatively walk in and out of the labyrinth.

    Creating a labyrinth together using the science of the mind and following prescribed geometric shapes.

    To (learn to) see reality from a spiral perspective, looking at our inner and outer world.

    Sufficient space to build a labyrinth (diameter of about ten meters). Sufficient stones or white powder, such as lime or flour.

    Ask students what it was like to collectively build such an intuitive art object. And what did they experience as they walked the labyrinth? What were they thinking about while walking?