Working together to foster interest in art, NTU-National Institute of Education (NTU-NIE) and School of Arts, Design and Media (ADM) hosted Arts + U, a programme centred around using recyclable materials to craft ideas and promote the relevance of art in one’s life.

20 volunteers from the ADM Student Club and NIE Student Teachers’ Club guided 32 students from Swiss Cottage Secondary School in the virtual event held on 11 May 2021. The workshop was split into two parts – ideation and creation. The students first thought up designs and patterns they wished to incorporate into their final work, using the recycled materials provided. Over video platform Zoom, the volunteer facilitators helped to guide the students in creating their works, sharing technical skills and ways to encourage creative thinking.

 

The Highlights

Participants had first-hand experience crafting with recyclable materials.

As recyclable materials are seldom to go-to material for arts and crafts, this was the first time many of the secondary school students were using them. The participants found it exciting to explore the various forms of design using items such as a rubber band or a marble.

Working on iconic scenes from around Singapore.

During the ideation process, the participants were given a wide range of themes to help them narrow down their ideas. Many decided on iconic landmarks of Singapore, and it was interesting to see how the provided materials – previously unwanted – were crafted into recognisable places or structures.

More interaction between students and volunteers.

The works were then showcased during the breakout room sessions with the facilitators, with smaller groups allowing both sides to interact more. Volunteers later shared that the session was more engaging than expected and a good opportunity for them to share their knowledge.

The Memories

Students and facilitators taking a group picture together with their finished artworks.
A student showing her finished artwork from the workshop.
A student watching a demonstration of technical skills by the facilitators on Zoom.
A student sharing her artwork with her peers and the facilitators over Zoom.
Students attending the mass briefing conducted over Zoom by the facilitators.

Reflection #1 – The Challenges

COVID-19 disruptions.

Due to the ever-changing guidelines of social distancing, there was a sudden change in the way the event was conducted. This resulted in too many volunteers not having roles in the event, and a few of them were unable to be as involved as they had hoped when the session became virtual. To mitigate this, the organising committee grouped the volunteers and had them work in smaller teams, which allowed them to interact more closely with the students in breakout rooms.

The social distancing requirements also caused the event to be delayed, as the guidelines were still undecided due to the changing situations. However, the situation was resolved after further coordination and communication with the school, the ADM Student Club and NIE Student Teacher’s Club.

Technical difficulties.

As an online event, certain technical difficulties were inevitable. Some students did not have earpieces with them, which led to loud background noise while they shared their art pieces with everyone in the breakout room. The issue was minimised through the facilitators guiding the presenting student to speak nearer to their tablets or type in the chat, so their ideas could still be shared.

Reflection #2 – The Takeaways

Positive reception from the participants.

Although this was the first time the initiative was held, the participants gave positive feedback for the workshop, with some stating that they would have never thought of using such recyclable materials when making art. This allowed them to appreciate art in a different light, achieving the goal of Arts + U.

The facilitators were flexible and well-prepared.

Despite the surplus of volunteers, the facilitators were able to adapt to the situation and work together when the event was forced to go virtual. The many NTU-NIE and ADM students who had volunteered for the session prepared substantially for the various changes in their respective segments, which led to a smooth workshop.

 

**UPDATE (4 October 2021)

Arts + U by ADM Student Club and NIE Student Teacher’s Club was one of the three projects which clinched the CoLab4Good Award for Service to Society at Student Leaders’ Night 2021.

We would like to express our heartiest congratulations to the team for a job well done. Watch the video below to hear from the organising team.