OUR assisted studio pilot Maker Mall in Castlecourt has finished and one of the joys of being in the shopping centre was not only the disabled access but the people who came to see what it was that we were doing. Be it someone from West Belfast who came into town once a week to shop there to others that came to eat. One man was from Ardoyne and the conversation we had stuck in my mind
"I have a daughter of eight who loves to draw. How do I encourage her?" he said.
Some family's activity encourages creativity, others try and limit it. However I always say if you can connect a child to their own creativity they will never be alone.
With the challenges that we face both locally and globally, creativity is going to be required in order to solve everything we will come up against. So as the long summer months stretch out in front of us, readers with children around them perhaps don't have the mobility to go to the Ulster Museum or take advantage of the free art materials in the Mac available when visiting. What do you do?
Why not bring paper and pencils and ask the child to draw something, with gentle coaxing great results can happen – as well as silence. You never know you might just start a lifetime of self expression.
On a basic level go along to some paper places like the Range, Asda, Tesco's, Hobby Craft. You will find some great cheap sketchbooks or rolls of paper. Often your local newsagent also stock some kind of sketchbook. Depending on the age of the child crayons, pencils or felt tips can be the right materials. Painting is always a winner, just cover any surface and child before starting. Or if you have the space outside and the weather is with you, do it there. Chalks are also good for outside pavements or yards. When any art is produced stick it up on your wall somewhere. The encouragement of feeling the work is good enough to hang on the wall can help with anyone's self-esteem no matter the age. If blank paper is out of the question, why not use newspapers and magazines?
If you're short on materials recycle food packaging. Where would Blue Peter have been without the cardboard inner tubes or toilet roll? The insides of carboard packaging on pizza or cereal boxes also make great art materials. If your child is not sure what to draw just ask them to draw around them what they see, or a map to a treasure island. Recently I noticed the trend in family restaurants for parents to bring ipads or iphones and small children to be staring at a cartoon while at the table. Why not bring paper and pencils and ask the child to draw something, with gentle coaxing great results can happen – as well as silence. You never know you might just start a lifetime of self expression.
Which brings me back to the man from Ardoyne, the step to take his daughter to an art gallery seemed too much, however, I did remind him that they were all free and everyone welcome's children. Off he went with a Belfast Art map and I hope he took that first step to bring his daughter to some of them.
