art with local people
Community art projects involve people from the same local community working together on a collaborative art project.
HI has had lots of experience of facilitating in such projects, mostly in the UK but sometimes in developing countries.For example, we worked with a group of street children in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, introducing them to various ways in which image making couldbe used. This included a visit to the National Museum in Addis, where the young people were encouraged to make drawings of some of the art and artefacts from their own culture. It was their first visit to any museum.
Painting a mural together is another simple way of developing solidarity in a community. It is also a good and relatively easy way of brightening up an otherwise dull environment such as a school or a hospital.
There are many different possibilities, but successful community art projects are friendly and enjoyable, involving conversations between community members which can lead to an increased awareness about local issues.