‘We`ll model future, we`ll make happiness’

Thanks to getting bailout to project “We`ll model the future, we`ll make happiness” from WBK Bank Zachodni Foundation by the Community Centre “Szansa”, within the Bank of Children’s Smiles program, once again, we have a chance to give children happiness and possibility to gain new abilities.The project is directed to the group of 15 children, who are wards of the community center with the elements of sociotherapy “Szansa”, operated by the Local Social Welfare Centre in Kowala. The main aim of this project is to develop children`s interests, improve manual and cognitive functions, and stimulate general technical development. Not only can the children develop their interests, but also they will get the opportunity to learn innovative techniques of handicraft and imagination development, creativity and to use learnt abilities in everyday life. Moreover, the children will gain some knowledge about historical and modern art of artistic handicraft, and also will know methods of using it in everyday life.

Artistic handicraft workshops in 4 categories are planned in the project. Sewing workshop is the first one, which will start from the ready-made patterns and moulds, participants will learn how to tread the needle, to tie the knots, to sew on the buttons and finally to sew. They will create rag toys, creatures, monsters and freaks, bags, necklaces, pendants and other miracles from colourful cloths, fineries, felt and wool. Thanks to felt workshops they will get to know felt technique of moist sheep wool. There will be created unique miracles like flowers, brooches, earrings and necklaces from the as soft as down wool by pinching and rubbing with the use of water and soap.

Working with sheep wool and changing it into three-dimensional form by themselves, will give them unlimited possibilities, support development of imagination and manual abilities. Scrabboking will teach them manual creating and decorating art of albums, diaries and notebooks. The covers of thick notebooks will be decorated to change them unrecognizably.

Special decorative papers, fabric sheet, sophisticated punches, stickers will be used, and decorative cards will be made. Children will know a lot of ways of using clay during ceramics workshops. Thanks to varied techniques, unique cups, plates, tablets, bowls for hamsters, cats and other pets will be created. Apart from playing with clay, they will get to know “what in grass is squeaking?” it means about beauty and variety of nature in Poland and about creators of “yesterday and today”, so something about art in history and in today`s world. Educational trip to Osada Średniowiczna in Huta Szklana will be the end of the project. Young creators will go by this trip to the times of early Middle Ages, just to know Slavic tradition, culture of ceremonies, customs, and its influence on the modern history and tradition of Poland. We will also visit works of middle ages craftsmen from Saint Cross: a potter, a carpenter, a blacksmith, a weaver, a saddler or wild bee keeper`s beehive. There will be a possibility to take part in weaver`s workshops, where techniques of weaving, secrets of colourful selvages, striped garments or carpets will be known.