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Development through art

Organized by the Zikra Initiative Children of Ghor Al Mazra'a Explore their Community through "Development through Art" Project In line with Zikra Initiative's goals to promote the arts and bridge the cultural gap between different communities, "Development through Art" workshop was organized at Ghor Al Mazra'a for children from the local community. The workshop, which lasted for three weeks, was organized by the Zikra Initiative under the supervision of the Jordanian artist Aziz Abu Ghazaleh and sponsored by the Spanish Embassy. As all children need a variety of experiences to assist them in exploring their environment, the workshop included an introductory session with discussions on the local area's surroundings through which awareness of the surroundings were explored, resulting in creating a sense of belonging among participants. Elements resulting from the discussion were then translated by students into drawings, which were then copied on canvas by using acrylic paint which was used after learning the concept of color mixing techniques. Amongst the goals achieved through this project was encouraging self development through promoting self expression, self discovery and a sense of achievement in children who participated. Through art, children learn to value their own uniqueness and to appreciate the individuality of others. Team work and social development was also enhanced through the workshop as children learn to cooperate during group art projects, in addition to eye muscle coordination. The second part of the workshop involved painting local houses by the local community with the help of a number of Zikra volunteers. Themes from the paintings were adapted by painters and have resulted with 6 houses being painted over a period of two weeks. This provided a platform for the exchange of information between the volunteers and members from the local community. In addition to creating a sense of belonging and appreciation of their local surrounding, drawings on the local houses helped beautify the area and increase people's overall well being.