Great progress is being made in Art & Craft for Mental Health and Well-being class being conducted through remote learning. Students have successfully acclimatised to painting and drawing at home under the tutors guidance by phone and one-to-one tutorials.
Renate Gross, the tutor, has conducted informal tests about various artistic techniques, such as colour and perspective over the phone, which they all completed successfully. As evident from their increased engagement the students have repeatedly told Renate how the class is helping them enormously through this difficult time.
Renate Gross commented, “As tutor to a vulnerable group of special needs adults, teaching art over the phone under lockdown seemed like mission impossible. Very few of my students (who vary in age) have computers or know how to use them. So instead we devised a way for them to verbally describe their pictures to me on our weekly call, which added an interesting dimension to our learning and teaching.
Astonishingly, my students became even more creative than before. Instead of meeting in class, where they would look for guidance, they were able to draw and paint in the relaxed atmosphere of their homes. Aside from street scenes, animals and landscapes, they chose to work on geometric patterns - and even initiate their own projects. One student was commissioned to create a picture that was subsequently sold. Another wrote a memoir, designed the cover, and published a hardback book. Two students are at present preparing sketchbooks of imaginative designs, with one of them developing a popular following on Instagram by creating theatrical stories with soft toys.
What initially began as an impractical challenge, has instead produced so many encouraging results. The students have gained greater self-reliance and more autonomy over their creative work. They have become more engaged, and repeatedly tell me how the class is helping them enormously through this difficult time.”
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