STAR-POST (Art) January 2019 Jan. 2019 | Page 22

The power of colours to connect and heal Life is beautiful and that beauty can be communicated through colours. Colours have the power to influence and play an important role in our lives. Colours affect us emotionally and are perceived differently by people from different cultures and different generations. Colours can also generate conversations. The impetus for Life Stripe by SPREAD Design Duo started mainly to help a friend who was suffering from society withdrawal and who was reluctant to communicate. The activity of using colours to describe the day’s activity helped their friend to regain confidence in expression. They also worked on a similar project for the Japanese children traumatised by the 2011 earthquake. The process of working with colours brought joy to the children and the sharing of their experiences and fears brought them closer as a community. Think about: How could we lead meaningful conversations or introduce tasks about colours in our classrooms? Hands-on learning In this digital age, our younger generation may not have much hands-on learning opportunities. When SPREAD Design Duo introduced their favourite material – washi tape to children, they found the process of cutting, tearing, pasting and peeling interesting and stimulating. The tape is also a versatile medium that allows children to experiment and learn from their mistakes. The opportunity to put things together, create narratives and to use both familiar and/or unfamiliar materials in new ways helped them to construct meaning in learning. Think about: How could we design hands-on learning experiences to spur students’ curiosity and creativity? View keynote address by SPREAD Design Duo HERE. 22 23