Program

Arts Can Do

Arts Can Do is an art based education project which aims to help disadvantaged children reach their full potential by developing life skills and confidence through involvement in art.

Many parents in rural areas of China have to move to the cities to make a decent living and have to leave their children with relatives. Children who have not had sufficient direct parental care often become shy and withdrawn, lacking motivation and confidence. This results in children being unable to learn properly in school and in the development of many mental and social problems. As a result, these children can miss out on becoming successful citizens and in making the most of the opportunities life.

This is a world wide problem but it happens all too often in rural China. It has been shown in many centres around the world that introducing marginalized children to making art can begin to give the children back the joy of childhood creativity and discovery, to give them confidence so that they can succeed in school education and in later life.

Arts Can Do is establishing a children art learning centre at the Xucun Elementary School in Song Yan Town of He Shun District. This centre will provide art teachers and art materials. It will run out of school hours programs to allow children the to learn to express themselves through art. All the equipment for the classes, the books, papers, paints, clay, fabric and other artistic needs will be provided by Arts Can Do and its supporters and sponsors both in China and overseas.

We hope that in time we will be able to take work created by the children in Xucun and exhibit it in other cities and towns to inspire other children and to focus attention on the project.

Making art, sharing it with others can transform children. It can help unlock minds that have been shut down in response to poverty, lack of love and understanding. All things that affect many children,

Children who need special help will have an opportunity to work with trained art therapists to help overcome particular developmental problems.

As well as our resident teachers Arts Can Do will bring established artists from major cities in China and other countries to visit and work with the children in Xucun. These Chinese and international artists will inspire the children and introduce them to new ideas and the possibilities of life.

Our aim is not to train great artists, although we might well discover some. Our aim is to help all children grow in their understanding of themselves and how to cope with life by first learning to express themselves through making art.

With all great social changes there are inevitably some who are left behind and overcome by the force of circumstance.  Many children are in this situation, unintended casualties of social change.

There is a Chinese saying that  “ The wind can sweep away a huge sheet of paper but it cannot sweep away a little butterfly for the power of life can overcome it.” Arts Can Do aims to give children back the power of life by developing their individual creativity and expression.

Arts Can Do is a project of ACAF, the Australia China Art Foundation.

 

The Australian Financial Review Magazine photographer Josh Robenstone travelled to Xucun as part of the Australia China Art Foundation’s Arts Can Do residency program. Here he documents what he found: a village and a people on their way from old to new China.

https://www.afr.com/p/lifestyle/afrmagazine/from_old_china_to_new_wJA3bTSDcZ2XH3zF2b9PYN

 

SUPPORTING ACAF AND ARTS CAN DO

If you would like to be part of Arts Can Do and volunteer your time please contact us. ACAF’s activities are made possible through the generous support of individuals and organisations.

You can support ACAF by purchasing works of art generously donated by artists from China, Hong Kong, Australia and around the world. You can also make direct donations to ACAF. To find out more, contact us at info@acaf.org.au. Donations to the ACAF Fellowship are tax deductible for Australian taxpayers.

 

CONTACT ACAF

AUSTRALIA

Ms Jeong Ho Lee

Tel, +61 3 9521 1929, +61 488 012 634

Mobile: +61 437 596 307

Email: info@acaf.org.au

www.acaf.org.au

ACAF Melbourne Project Space: 164 High St Prahran VIC 3188 Australia

 

CHINA

Ms Wendy Li

Mobile: +86 18616092377

Email: info@acaf.org.au

www.acaf.org.au

ACAF Beijing Studio: B008, Huantie Zhuyi, Huantie Art Zone, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100016, China

ACAF Shanghai Office: Unit 902, Block10, No.1988 Gonghexin Road, Zhabei District, Shanghai, 200072, China

 

“艺术无疆·爱助成长”
－ 百灵鸟儿童艺术教育和心灵裨补慈善项目

“艺术无疆·爱助成长”－ 百灵鸟儿童艺术教育和心灵裨补慈善项目旨在通过开展艺术基础教育，投入、感知艺术，帮助弱势群体儿童发展生存技能，建立自信，从而发掘潜能，为他们的未来插上希望的翅膀。

在许多偏远的农村，身强力壮的成年人涌入城市务工，将自己的孩子留守在农村与亲属生活。在巨大的社会变革浪潮中，这些孩子往往无可奈何地成为被抛弃和遗忘的对象 。他们无法直接获得父母足够的关爱，容易变得害羞、孤僻、缺乏动力和自信；也常常无法在学校正常就学，引发诸多精神及社会问题，在未来的社会生存中失去许多成功的机会。

这个世界性的问题，在中国的农村显得尤为频繁和严重。世界上许多帮助边缘群体儿童的中心证明，通过参与艺术创作，可以有效地使这些孩子逐渐找回创造力以及探索发现的快乐，重拾自信，在学校教育及将来的生活中获得成功。

澳大利亚中国当代艺术基金会（ACAF）的“艺术无疆·爱助成长”－ 百灵鸟儿童艺术教育和心灵裨补慈善项目中心将在山西省和顺县松烟镇的一所贫困学校许村小学成立。这个中心将提供艺术家及所需艺术物资，并运营正常学时之外的艺术项目，让孩子们学会通过艺术表达自己。所有艺术课程所需的书籍，纸张，颜料，陶土，布料和其他设备材料将由此项目及国内外的支持者和赞助者提供。

创作艺术并与他人分享，为儿童带来的转变是巨大的，它能解开孩子因贫穷、缺乏关爱和理解而铸起的思想枷锁。这些需要特殊帮助的孩子将有机会获得训练有素的艺术心理辅导师的指导，克服、战胜一系列的问题。

除了驻地艺术家，此项目还将引进来自国内各地以及海外的知名艺术家来许村参观访问，并与孩子们一起创作。国内外的艺术家将会激发孩子们的灵感，带给他们有创意的想法和观念，分享艺术与生活的无限可能性。

我们将会把许村儿童创作的艺术作品定期在其他地区展示，以启发和鼓励更多的儿童，并对项目发展有所裨益。

我们的初衷并不是通过此项目培养伟大的艺术家——虽然我们也不排除从中发现禀议天赋的可能性。更重要的是，我们希望在此项目的推动和鼓励下，孩子们通过艺术创作学会如何表达，增加对自我和生活的认知和理解，并得以健康成长。

中国有句古话说：“风能吹走一张大大的白纸，却吹不走一只小小的蝴蝶。因为生命的力量可以战胜一切。”“艺术无疆·爱助成长”－ 百灵鸟儿童艺术教育和心灵裨补慈善项目的宗旨就是希望让孩子们发展个人创造力，展现鲜活的生命力。

 

联系ACAF

澳大利亚

Jeong Ho Lee

电话:  +61 3 9521 1929, +61 488 012 634

手机: +61 437 596 307

邮箱: info@acaf.org.au

网址: https://www.acaf.org.au

ACAF 墨尔本工作室: 164 High St Prahran VIC 3188 Australia

 

中国

李娟

手机: +86 18616092377

邮箱: info@acaf.org.au

网址: https://www.acaf.org.au

ACAF 北京工作室: 北京市朝阳区环铁艺术城环铁主邑B008  邮编：100016

ACAF上海工作室: 上海市闸北区共和新路1988号10座902室  邮编：200072