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Workshop in Polgahawela, Sri Lanka
16 August 2000 - 20 August 2000
St.BERNADETTE'S SCHOOL
ART JAPAN
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| The KIDS' GUERNICA workshop in Sri Lanka was held at Parakramabahu Nationalb School from August 17, 2000 to August 20, 2000. This workshop was sponsored by Dr. Dileep Chandralal, professor of Linguistics and Communication at Okinawa University, Japan. Parakramabahu National School is Professor Dileep Chandralal’s alma mater. He attended the school, then Parakramabahu Central School, as a junior high school student. The school is situated at Polgahawela, a small town 60 kms north-east from Colombo. Ms. Thilaka Piyaseeli, Director of Kobe-Lanka Pre-school and Mr. S.M. Gunathilaka, Asst. Director of Education, Polgahawela coordinated the project. The project of creating a peace mural was conducted under the guidance of the arts teachers of the participating schools. Their assistance was of great value in making the project a success. 45 students from the schools in the area participated in the workshop. Some parents came to see the project and encouraged the students. Mrs.Ranjani Podimenike, an art teacher from Denagamuwa School worked as the president of the workshop committee. Gajamadara Education Project founded by Professor Dileep Chandralal sponsored the workshop and Hotel Gajamadara Walauwa functioned as the secretariat for the KIDSﾕ Guernica 2000 in Sri Lanka. In the first preparatory meeting, the coordinators described the nature, purpose and value of the project and children showed their enthusiasm to participate in an international art project. The students were determined to use this rare opportunity to express their feelings about war and peace and to send their message of peace to the world. The teachers were ready to let the children freely express their artistic talents. At the meetings held in June and July, they discussed that the theme of the mural should reflect the national identity of the country and show how the national heritage and traditional life are devastated by a military conflict between the guerilla forces and the government forces in Sri Lanka. They further considered that it would be convenient to hold the final workshop and final production of the mural in August (from August 17 to August 20). One reason for this decision was that the school-vacation in August would allow the children to gather freely and to use a school hall big enough to spread the canvas (3.5mx7.8m). The place chosen for the final workshop was the school premises of Parakramabahu National School at Polgahawela. The workshop started at 9:00 a.m. on the 17 August, as schrduled. For the key messages of the mural, traditional symbols and images representing ancient Sri Lanka culture and nature were used. A moonstone, a Buddha statue and an ancient (Sigiri) fresco graced one corner of the mural, representing Sri Lanka artistic traditions and beliefs and highlighting part of national heritage. Another corner was decorated with bright colored images of nature such as trees, flowers, birds, a river and fish. Accordingly, the left side of the mural seemed to be a profound mixture of culture and nature. The right side of the mural depicted the day-today life of the people, for example, traditional farming and festivals based on agriculture and religious beliefs. From the middle of the mural, emerged a picture of a few people representing different ethnic groups with a map of Sri Lanka in the background. However, the island and people were in flames, showing how the war can destroy human life, human heritage, and the whole society including natural environment and wild life. On the top of the mural, appeared a white pigeon, the symbol of lasting peace. Taken together, the mural conveyed the idea of co-existence between different ethnic groups and harmony between nature and human society and the children’s wishes for peace, cooperation, harmony and happiness. The closing ceremony of the final workshop was held at Hotel Gajamadara Walauwa on August 20. Approximately 45 children and their parents and teachers attended the occasion. Media persons were invited to report the event and encourage the children. Japanese volunteer members some of whom had involved in the whole project from the preparatory stage while others who participated in the main workshop also attended the occasion. Mr. Yasuda Tadashi expressed appreciation for everyone’s participation in the project and for completing the mural within a short period and gave away presents to each child and teacher at the closing ceremony. The KIDS' GUERNICA workshop sponsored by GAJAMADARA EDUCATION PROJECT gave a new experience to the rural children in Sri Lanka. It was the first time the children of Polgahawela Division got the opportunity to participate in an international art project, to produce a group mural of that size with the participation of students from different schools. They gained self-confidence by expressing their artistic talents and genuine wishes for peace on a large-size canvas to be documented on Internet and broadcast through electronic media. Today’s children live in a world of fears, unrest and uncertainties. Their struggle to pass competitive examinations brings them only mental stress. The task of creating a group mural and expressing their feelings and wishes on a canvas with brushes and colors has a great heeling power. Thanks to the KIDS' GUERNICA Project, the children in Sri Lanka were blessed with this opportunity which brought tranquility, harmony and self-esteem to their hearts. Sri Lanka media, both printed and electronic, gave a good coverage of the event. A detailed article with a picture of the closing ceremony appeared on the SUNDAY OBSERVER (27 August). Some children and teachers have already expressed their interest in attending the final exhibition in Nepal in December 2000. |
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CORDINATOR:
Dileep CHANDRALAL
TEACHER:
S.M.GUNATHILAKA.(Asst.EDUCATION DIRECTOR-POGAHAWELA.)
S.M.A.RANJANI PODIMENIKE.
S.P.WINEETHA RAJAPAKSHA.
P.M.SHANTHIDEVI AMARASINGHE.
Children:
ALEEN WIKRAMAS`INGHE, 11
S.THANUJA RANGANI, 13
NIRMANI GITHMI NUMAWELA, 11
P.M.ROSHAN PRIYADARSHANA, 13
R.D.DULANGIKA KALPANI, 13
HARSHA PRABATH RAJAPAKSHA, 13
GAYATHRI KAUSHALYA WEERASINGHE 10
H.W.SUDHARIKA MADUBASHINI JAYATHILAKA, 14
R.M.IDUNIL DAMAYANTHI KUMARI, 14
Y.K.SUGANDA SRI PIYUMAL, 13
J.A.KANISHKA JAYASURIYA, 13
BUDDIKA NUWAN JAYASIGHE, 14
J.M.WASANA DILHANI JAYASINGHE, 11
P.H.THILINI MADUSHANI PUNCHIHEWAGE, 11
R.D.AYOMA NUWANTHI DAYAS, 11
M.BATHIYA SENANAYAKA, 13
(DENAGAMUWA SCHOOL)
M.L.R.SUMUDU SUBASHINI CHANDRASEKARA, 10
M.L.R.DILRUKSHI CHATHURANGANI MANIKE, 11
R.NIROSHA DILRUKSHI MUTHURAJA, 11
R.M.ANJANA SRI JAYAMADU, 13
A.G.DILRUKSHIKA GUNATHILAKA, 13
S.SAMAN RANJAN KARUNASINGHE, 13
S.SADUN MAHESH GUNATHICAKA, 13
M.L.R.SIDATH KANCHANA BANDARA, 13
P.D.ANIL MONASHININE, 13
L.ANURA RATHNAYAKA, 12
SASHIKALA SADAMALI ABERATHNA, 11
DINESH NAMAL, 12
E.NISHANTHA SANJAYA EDIRISINGHE, 13
(NAKKAWATTHA NATIONAL SCHOOL)
K.D.DHAMITHA CHAMARA, 13
(WAYAMBA ROYAL SCHOOL) PURNA THARINDU SIRITHUNGA, 11
CHATHURI KANCHANA HERATH, 11
ERANDI MADUBASHINI HERATH, 10
(PARAKRAMABAHU NATIONAL SCHOOL)
W.MAHESHA UDAYANGANI, 13
P.R.HASHNTHIKA RATHNAYAKA, 13
H.A.BUDDIKA SAMPATH HEWAPATHI, 11
(Vishakha Pre-school)
CHAMARI PUBUDUNI HERATH,
(st.BERNARD SCHOOL)
KASUNKA LAKMAL WIJEBANDBRA, 9 |
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