Youth Vision: An Art Workshop Blog
Getting Ready
Thank you all for your interest in the Youth Vision – Art Workshop. We appreciate the support and reception we received for the Open Call for Applications. The positive response we got goes on to show the interest and willingness of our youth population to use the best of all opportunities they get despite the challenging circumstances.
We hope to see the same enthusiasm and excitement reflected in the workshop as well. Over the next days, we will be reaching out to selected participants with more details – so please keep a look out for our communication.
We are so excited and cannot wait to meet you all and hear your stories and experiences. See you soon, and stay tuned for more updates.
Almost There
We are in an unprecedented time. It is an absolute truth; the present is rather strange and not like anything we have experienced before. But it is also an absolute truth that ‘life must go on’; we need to find ways to adjust to the ‘new normal’.
In this spirit, the ‘Youth Vision – an Art Workshop’ has commenced virtually with 45 youths from across the Maldives taking part in the first workshop. The first of the two eight-day workshops began on 5 December, with 26 participants and concluded on 12 December.
Fortunately, a global pandemic in the 21st century is vastly different from what it was a 100 years ago; we are now endlessly connected with each other through different means, which means collaboration is much easier now even while practicing physical distancing. However, this does not negate the fact that many of us still find it extremely challenging to cope with isolation, stress and boredom brought on by COVID-19. The Youth Vision workshops were designed to fit the current circumstance, in terms of how it was conducted and the content that was covered.
The Beginning (W1)
The first two days consisted of getting the participants engaged in capacity building topics that are relevant to modern contexts. The topics that were covered include: Dystopian or Utopian Future – Job Security and Livelihood; Youth for the Environment; Role of Internet in Politics, Governance & Leadership; Violence, Abuse & Trauma; Youth, Peace & Social Cohesion and Gender – Understanding Masculinity and Femininity.
While these were heavy topics to delve into, the participants were keen to listen to the presentations and eager to learn. Participants engaged meaningfully and contributed expressively when required. The virtual workshop allowed more young people from all around the Maldives to participate from their island homes this year. This paved way for the participants to have a more wholesome experience and hear about different lived realities during the discussions.
While the first two days were mostly spent on discussions, the enthusiastic young artists made good use of the art kit that was provided to them during the breaks and icebreaker sessions. We saw many imaginative doodles and even some clay sculptures while the presentations ran, which only added to our excitement and eagerness to begin the art creating process.
After immersing themselves in some intellectual topics, the participants were ready to move on to the art aspect of the workshop.
We started with something simple; writing an artist biography. The participants were assured that it was a safe space and they were encouraged to be open about themselves as artists. As part of the session on “Dystopian or Utopian Future: Job Security and Livelihood”, participants explored “ikigai” - a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being” and finding meaningful direction and purpose in life. Drawing from this, participants were asked to find parallels between their lives and what has inspired them as artists so far.
It was, indeed, a bit of a struggle at first. People rarely like saying profound things about themselves, especially upon initial meetings. Even though the artists were reluctant to talk about themselves and their history as artists, they eventually opened up. They shared their experiences, struggles and inspirations openly with the group. By the end of day two, all participants had written a biography for themselves that reflected their passion and vision as artists.
Then they moved on to a similar process; ideation. The participants started off by writing particular words that they felt connected to. For example, one of the artists’ words was “environment”. They were then asked to connect the word to a sentence which they could relate to. The process went on, building on the word, then a sentence, until it became a fully fledged idea that they could work on.
On day four, different mediums of creating were introduced to the participants. They were briefed on what art, multimedia, creative writing, mixed media, and photography consisted of. The budding artists were also introduced to the concept of mood-boards. Laying down all of their ideas in one place (the mood-board) helped them translate their sporadic ideas into something more tangible and coherent.
After the artists’ ideas were visibly laid out, it was time to select a medium (or mediums) and to officially start creating content. The participants busily worked on their art pieces over the next few days under the guidance of their mentors.
The eighth and final day of the first workshop was the most exciting of all as the participants shared their art pieces with everyone. What we saw was beyond amazing and inspiring, each and every piece of art was a beautiful creation and had an even more compelling story to tell. In these inauspicious times, it was promising to see young minds still having the drive to create and exchange; to cooperate and conceive. It is assuring to know that our stories will be told, no matter how trying times get.
We are looking forward to sharing the art and related stories with all of you, but for now, we begin our second workshop which will go on from 16 - 23 December 2020. Stay tuned for more updates.
Round Two (W2)
Let’s start by making a round of applause to everyone for making it through to 2021. Suffice to say, the last year was rough. It was a year of lockdowns, hardships and thoroughly disinfecting groceries, and yet, we found ways to keep going despite an ongoing pandemic. The sheer necessity of a balanced and stimulated mental well-being became more apparent, too. The 2020 Youth Vision art camp sought to facilitate just that by providing the Maldivian youth with a virtual platform for various creative outlets.The two workshops held last month saw participants like Alima, a relief-teacher from the island of F.Magoodhoo who is passionate drawing, painting and paper craft. Fortunately, the virtual platform of Youth Vision removed the geographical barrier to entry faced by many creative youths just like her that are scattered across a sparse Maldives. The art kit and the secure 3G connection that was freely provided also eliminated obstacles, and the workshops became a more inclusive and accessible space for everyone.
Similar to the first workshop, Alima and 24 other participants spent eight days being mentored by seasoned local artists. They started off by engaging in capacity building discussions, then moving on to the process of creating which included research, writing an artist profile, and creating a mood board. It is intrinsically human to feel compelled to tell stories, but words may not be everyone’s forte; some find it easier to express themselves through different mediums of art. As such, different mediums of creating such as 2D art, photography, multimedia, mixed media and creative writing were also introduced to the participants.
It was refreshing to see young people from across the Maldives engaged in intellectual conversation and sharing their experiences and aspirations, based on what they learned in the capacity building exercises. The topics they discussed ranged from socio-economic issues such as unemployment and gender violence, to concerns related to environment and job security.The participants were introspective and did a tremendous job in turning their conversations into meaningful art pieces that reflected their ideals.
On the last day, participants finally presented their work to the mentors and the fellow participants. Alima had drawn inspiration from challenges of her life and her final piece was created by using acrylic and paper. The participants said they found solace in each others’ work, and that it was easier to interpret the pieces as there were connections made during the process when they were sharing their struggles and experiences. The participants also agreed that the virtual setting was vastly beneficial as it gave them the opportunity to meet like-minded creatives from across the country whom they may have never met due to geographical disparities.
Alima and the rest of the participants are extremely eager to showcase their artwork to the world. The artwork will be exhibited to the public for two weeks from 7 January 2021, Thursday 16:00 hours onwards. The response and feedback received from participants of Youth vision goes onto show that art can be an excellent coping mechanism during tough times, and that it is something that brings people together to create meaningful connections even if they are (quite literally) oceans apart.
The Youth Vision - An Art Workshop is an initiative by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Maldives, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, European Union and Ooredoo Maldives.