“Joy through art”

– An art competition and exhibition for the children in Kamza

Albanian Women’s Federation for World Peace (AWFWP)

Member of WFWP International; UN ECOSOC General Consultative Status; UNDPI NGO ; OSCE International Organization

Albania Representative: Katarzyna Minollari

Tel: + 4 22 51 76  ;    0 692 375 881; e-mail: kasiamin@yahoo.co.uk; P.O.Box 8354 Tirana

April 2006

Project description

The project will consist of an art competition for school children, aged from 7 to 18, with the title “The Place where I live”, conducted in May 2006. Pictures may be made in any technique preferred by the artists: showing towns, villages, festivals, traditional ceremonies, scenery  or any other topic. We will concentrate on schools in the Kamza district (suburbs of Tirana).

The first level of the competition will be conducted and organized by schools themselves. AWFWP will only provide prizes for the artists of the best pictures.

The best pictures from all schools will be collected by AWFWP and exhibited in a venue in Tirana (possibly in the National Gallery) in first week of June, coinciding with the  “International Children’s Day”. A jury composed of artists, art lovers; donors and educators will judge the pictures and choose the winners who will receive prizes.

The best 30 pictures will be sent to Aichi, Japan for an exhibition of pictures by children from all over the world with the same theme organized by local WFWP branch there. The activity in Albania will be covered by the media.

The exhibition in Japan will take place in September/October and will be held in a few different venues. Best pictures will receive prizes and certificates and will be printed as postcards.

AWFWP has started cooperation with schools, NGOs and local authorities in Kamza district since 2005 and will continue to organize activities and projects there.

The purpose of the project

The purpose of the project is to give an opportunity for children growing in difficult material and social conditions to find joy through artistic expression as well as stimulate their talents and abilities by giving appreciation. Through having their work exhibited children will gain a sense of value and more hope for the future. They can also become more aware and appreciative of their country’s traditions and nature as well as gain satisfaction from participating in an international event.

Objectives:

- To stimulate and encourage children’s artistic development by providing an opportunity to participate in an art competition and exhibition

- To give a possibility for the children to discover their talents

- To guide children to find a sense of value and a pro-active approach to life by   giving appreciation for their work

- To guide the children to appreciate their country’s tradition, culture and nature

- To give an opportunity for the children to participate in an international competition, 

  Overcome the sense of isolation and giving a sense of being part of a larger International world wide community

Context of the project:

Due to the difficult economic situation, many children in Albania have very little opportunities to develop hobbies, talents and creativity.

The Kamza district located on the northern fringe of Tirana is one of the areas with a most difficult situation. Kamza, is one of the newest municipalities of Albania. The municipality was established in 1996, by the unification of 6 rural communes and Bathore, the biggest informally developed neighborhood of Tirana. In 1990, Kamza was a rural area with no more than 7,000 inhabitants. As the freedom of movement and land reform was introduced in the country in the early 90s, a wild process of urbanization targeted the territory of the municipality. At present the population of Kamza has 65 000 inhabitants, 12 000 of those being school age children, representing the most dramatic urban growth in the country.

Almost all of the new residents of Kamza were informally settled, giving way to an avalanche of illegal building construction, leading to a lack of infrastructure and services especially during the initial period of settlement allowing a sense of being neglected and ignored develop.

Despite visible development the area is still suffering from many problems. The majority of the population is poor; overcrowded schools miss even basic functioning sanitary installations; and children have almost no opportunities of developing their talents, hobbies and abilities or for entertainment. In such a situation every initiative is much appreciated and is of great importance to the children, helping them shape a more positive outlook of life and themselves.

 AWFWP has an experience of working with the children of Kamza area, through providing prizes for winners of a poetry recitation competition organized by teachers of elementary school in Bathore (a part of Kamza) on Children`s Day in 2005.

We could witness the children’s involvement and excitement about the competition as well as joy of being appreciated and awarded.

AWFWP has a good relationship with local Department of Education in Kamza as well as with the Mayor’s office and will continue to work in this area. We are currently preparing a project of restoring sanitary installations in the Bathore elementary school.

International children’s pictures exhibition is being organized in Aichi, Japan already for 4th time. Children from Albania participated in this event in 2003, at that time all Albanian participants received a simple award and a few received congratulatory certificates and special prizes.

Beneficiaries:

The beneficiaries will be school children from 11 schools (8 elementary and 3 secondary ones) in the Kamza district: especially 100 of those with artistic talents, whose pictures receive prizes and be chosen for the exhibition.

Activities:

-         Contacting Department of Education and mayor’s office in Kamza introducing the project and providing information

-         The project will be introduced to schools with the help of local authorities

-         The schools will organize the competition and select the winners

-         Preparing prizes for the winners of inside school competition (in the elementary schools in 2 age categories: 7-10 and 11-14)

-         Gathering the best pictures from schools

-         Organizing exhibition in Tirana and forming jury

-         The jury will chose winners in 3 age categories: 7-10, 11-14, 15-18

-         Informing media about the activity

-         Organizing the opening of the exhibition connected with delivering prizes to winners

-         Sending best 30 pictures to Aichi, Japan

-         Delivering certificates and prizes from Japan to the authors of pictures awarded at the international exhibition

Results:

-         Children will get satisfaction and joy from participating in the competition

-         Their talents and creative abilities will be stimulated

-         Through being awarded, talented children will get a sense of value and desire to develop their abilities

-         Children will develop awareness and appreciation of their country’s culture, tradition and nature

-         Through participating in an international competition children will get a sense of being a part of a larger world community and gain self-confidence

Risks:

Some school authorities and teachers might not be very cooperative with the project

Monitoring:

Donors will be invited to be part of jury and presented a narrative and financial report

Donations can be given to:

Bank name: Raiffeisen Bank

Bank address: Rr.e Kavajes

                       Tirana, Albania

Name of account: Federata e Grave Shqiptare per Paqen Boterore

Account number: 563128  USD 8000563128