Make do Tell
art and drama with Street Children in Nepal.
We are returning to Nepal to run a six-week art and drama project with street children in Nepal. These are the children who participated so enthusiastically in the Art Week we ran last December for which the Australian Government acknowledged us as Finalists in the Australia Asia Art Award.
We are thrilled that we were successful in raising money for this project named Make do Tell. We sincerely thank all our supporters for their contributions to the project.
Why Nepal?
Bhaktapur is an ancient town in the Kathmandu valley and was the former capital of Nepal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, acknowledged for its rich culture and artisan work which includes pottery, paper making and Thangkur painting.
Nepal has always been a poor country but over the past few decades the people has suffered greatly from a civil war and a dysfunctional government which has severely impacted on its people and its economy.
Consequently the poor have fewer opportunities to earn money to support their families, to educate their children, to attend to basic needs and medical care. Mental illness, family breakdown and alcohol and drug addiction are some of results. Children are abandoned, sold, left to fend for themselves or live a very uncertain life. They lack the opportunities of life that should support and nurture the child.
Why Street Children?
We have seen children who have had no access to school; we know this leaves them and their community in a cycle of poverty.
We have seen families living in extreme poverty, and we know they are especially vulnerable to the lure of earning money through selling their children.
We have seen children lost, alone and vulnerable, without a strong family to support and nurture them. We know these children are at risk of exploitation.
We have seen children without any resources who have to fight for the everything they have, however meagre.
We know all this denies them their right to a childhood and ruins lives.
We know children thrive when they play, create and learn.
What we do
We go into communities and teach art and drama. We teach skills. We develop the imagination. We have fun. We teach students how to work co-operatively with others. And we help improve their language skills. We build children’s self esteem and self confidence. We encourage children to learn, stretch themselves and to see their own potential .
We believe that art and drama is a stepping stone into education which, in Nepal, can be informal and non-school based .
We believe that children have a right to play and to learn through fun and creativity. We believe children, especially girls, need good role models to help them see and reach their potential. We believe entrenched disadvantage should not impede this children from experiencing what we know to be good for a child’s wellbeing and future.
What is Make Do Tell
It’s a skills based, arts and education project with the street children of Nepal.
Make Do Tell – making art & theatre, being creative, learning, making childhood fun.
Make Do Tell : doing drama and art together, being active.
Make Do Tell : being resourceful and adaptable.
Make Do Tell : Giving participants a voice through the arts. Creating stories, drama & artwork of participants’ lives.
Make : an invitation to participants to share their stories.
Why art and drama works
Make Do Tell, like all our programs, is built on our education and experience as professional artists, research including a PhD and years of engaging with disadvantaged communities. Our programs work because we are passionate that art and creativity can positively contribute to the community. We are committed to nurturing the creative potential in every individual and encouraging that person to shine. Our programs work because we consult with local community organisations with whom we partner, (such as the Unatti Foundation and Children’s Art Village, Nepal) and we train their leaders through professional development so that the work continues after we leave.
Further Information
see: our videos on YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGIz2xuraRyTYuI2Mqo_IQ
read: Bamboo, Banyan and Bodhi, an article about our international work http://bit.ly/H0vv7a
We have launched a range of gift cards – so you can pledge money for a birthday, Christmas, or any occasion. We are also offering some fundraising activities : http://www.artistsincommunity.me
and big thank you to all who donated.
Anne and Alex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLZ8IRJhU80
Anne Riggs 