March 17: Workshop - Clay portraits

Duration: 1 hour 15 min

Age Group: 6-16 years old

Assigned Volunteers: Arani, Avanti, Mindula, Oneli,

Assigned Community Teachers: Piyumika, Suren

Creating Art with a Blind/ Vision Impaired Friend

Create a sculpture of your partner, emphasizing teamwork, observation, and communication skills.

Clay for sculpting material, will be brought to the school by LBGT- org.
Sculpting tools
A base to make the sculpture on (we have cake boards etc at the Children’s Center classroom - take those with you)

Introduce the topic: "The art of sculpting by creating sculptures of our partners"
Explain the importance of teamwork and communication in this activity.
Briefly introduce the concept of partnering a blind student with a non-blind student for a unique collaborative experience.
2. Visualization and Observation (10 minutes)

Pair up the students, ensuring each blind/vision-impaired student is paired with a non-blind student.
Show the video to understand the exercise better (see below)
Instruct non-blind students to describe themselves to their blind/vision-impaired partners, emphasizing facial features, hair texture, and other distinguishing characteristics.
guide blind/vision-impaired kids in feeling their non-blind partner's face (with consent and sensitivity).
Encourage blind/vision-impaired partners to ask questions to understand their non-blind partner's appearance better.

Distribute sculpting materials to each pair.
Instruct blind/vision-impaired partners to sculpt the main features of their non-blind partners based on their observations, description and touch.
Non-blind partners assist by providing guidance and feedback, ensuring the accuracy of the sculpture.
Encourage problem-solving and adaptation as the pairs work together to overcome challenges, understand the importance of communication to creating together equally
4. Community Building (10 minutes)

Foster a sense of community and inclusivity by encouraging pairs to share their progress with the class/other Teams.
Facilitate discussions on teamwork, communication, and the unique experiences of each pair.
Emphasize the value of collaboration and understanding differences.

Gather the students and their sculptures for a group discussion.
Allow each pair to showcase their sculpture and share their experience.
Reflect on the process, highlighting the importance of empathy, communication, and creativity.
Encourage students to consider how they can apply these skills in other areas of their lives.

Provide assistance and support as needed, especially for blind students navigating the sculpting process, do not take over!
Foster a supportive and respectful environment where all students feel valued and included.
Adapt instructions and materials to accommodate the needs of each student, ensuring equal participation and learning opportunities.