HOW TO DO IT #KidsDrawPeace4Ukraine
Here’s how to organize a session for the expanded #KidsDrawPeace4Ukraine global art project involving Ukrainian refugee children who have found a safe place to stay in your area (who you can find via local news reporting, social media, schools, charities and your city hall). The main goals are to provide a positive experience for anxious children and then post their pictures as widely as possible on social media.
This is a follow-up to the first phase of this Global Youth & News Media activity in which editors of news for children in eight countries are inviting their audiences to submit art that sends wishes of peace and love to Ukrainian children. That first phase continues.
THE BASIC IDEA
This approach is based on successful testing with two sets of refugee children who had reached safe haven in France: a group of children and their moms at a refugee center and a mixed group of French and Ukrainian children in a home. The aim was for children to have a positive, mindful experience in creating both a personal memento and an expression of support for Ukraine as part of a project with children around the world. All of the participants found that to be the case.
WHO IT's FOR
Participants will be:
— Ukrainian children with their moms
— A mix of Ukrainian and local children
In the pilot tests, we had children as young as four years old and as old as 14, but the usual range was ages 7 to 11.
WHAT HAPPENs
Children have a choice of drawing instruments and of type of paper, know that their work is part of a global activity and finish with a drawing that will become a keepsake and be posted on social media.
NOT ART THERAPY
This is a modest project to give children a brief, positive, mindful experience. It is NOT “art therapy,” which delves into a child’s mental state with the help of a trained therapist.
We encourage support of Ukraine's Voices of Children whose awesome therapists have been healing war-shocked children with art since 2015.
WHEN TO DO IT
It is important to do this only after refugee children are in a safe haven, rested and regularly fed so in a position to want to join a global #KidsDrawPeace4Ukraine project. We found sessions lasted just under an hour.
WHERE TO DO IT
Children need a quiet space with plenty of room to draw on a table or desks. We did it at a refugee center and in a home, with groups of up to six children. It could also work in a classroom or a library.
HOW: STEP 1
DOWNLOAD
Download the set of five pages from the Global Youth & News Media site: three drawing sheets with the borders donated by artists Anton Pavlenko and Muriel Hanny, a template to create a cartoon story and a sampler of pictures from children around the world in support of Ukrainian children.
HOW: STEP 2
DRAWING SHEETS
The finished art will be a keepsake, so the drawing sheets should be heavier than normal 80-90 gram (standard weight) paper. Make enough copies so each child can pick out any option of border or a blank sheet of paper and be able to make more than one drawing. Also have plenty of that blank paper as some children may prefer no border.
HOW: STEP 3
SAMPLER PAGE
You just need one copy for each child of the sampler in Ukrainian (at left) that shows art by children in other countries. It can be on standard-weight paper. This is important to have because it clearly shows how widespread concern for Ukrainian children really is.
HOW: Step 4
DRAWING TOOLS
Provide an wide array of options, as many as your budget allows, so children can pick what they want to use: lots of packages of felt tip markers, wax crayons, and colored pencils (don’t forget sharpeners and good erasers). Avoid messy paint. Again, the goal is for children to have fun choosing their tools and then, if possible, keeping them. Again, if your budget allows, add a plastic sleeve, folder or envelope for picture protection.
HOW: STEP 5
TAKE 2 PICTURES
Take at least two pictures for each child: one of them holding their favorite drawing (for moms) and one of the drawing itself (for posting). Name each drawing with the child’s first name (only), age and country of origin.
HOW: Step 6
POST WIDELY
A key goal is to post children’s drawings widely on social media with the hashtag #KidsDrawPeace4Ukraine. We know from a variety of contacts that Ukrainian adults and children are seeing them and greatly appreciate the effort. Post only pictures of the drawings . The others, showing a child's face, are private and only for teachers, librarians or mothers.
HOW: STEP 7
SHOW LOCALLY, and maybe sell
If you are in a school, library or a refugee center setting, you might also want to post the pictures on a wall, as we did here in France. You could also sell some and send the proceeds to Ukraine's Voices of Children. Many thanks to Ukrainian mom and teacher Oksana, pictured here, who helped with the session at the refugee center.
HOW: Step 8
ANOTHER OPTION
After you've finished posting, you are welcome to send us your best pictures along with any comments you want to share about how it went for inclusion in a #KIdsDrawPeace4Ukraine showcase page. We do not divulge any identity information, including emails, with anyone.
Please use a jpeg format and name the picture this way:
UkraineArt-CHILD’s FIRST NAME-AGE-CHILD’S HOME COUNTRY
For example: UkraineArt-Ariana-7-Ukraine
Use this emaill:
entriesglobalyouthandnewsmedia [at] gmail [.] com
PHOTOGRAPHS & GRAPHICS/A.MCMANE
