Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qatar Foundation partner university, will begin offering a range of free art and design classes from tomorrow to May 20.
Titled, ‘Virtual Studios’, the programme has been launched to support the VCUarts Qatar community, and one of the courses, “Art in Support of our Heroes”, will cater to all those who are bravely and selflessly working for the safety of all of Qatar’s citizens, such as medical and hospital staff.
The “Heroes” class, which will last one hour, will be taught by Sara Powell, a VCUarts Qatar alumna and Art Psychotherapist who has vast experience of supporting trauma. Though the class is designed for frontline responders, it is open to anyone who would benefit from it.
No previous art-making experience is needed, and only simple materials, such as a pencil or paper, or other basic art materials are required.
Powell will also be teaching “Art & Collective Conversations in Crisis.” Participants will be invited to join a creative space where they will engage in artmaking, consider their emotional well-being, and how they are managing and mitigating the impact of the pandemic while reflecting on transitioning with a lack of connectivity and uncertainty, and while addressing issues such as fear and anxiety.
“Art & Collective Conversations in Crisis” will provide an avenue and opportunity for the participants to interact, ask questions, and collectively support each other.
Other classes being offered by the “Virtual Studios” programme will include “2D Animation for Kids”, which will be taught by VCUarts Qatar Graphic Design alumna Ebtesam M al-Hothi.
Children will learn creative techniques of shading using dotting, collage, and push and pull ink.
The art pieces created by the students will be combined and used to produce 2D stop motion animation clips. These artworks will be created using basic stationery, and everyday household resources. In “Set up your Creative Home Office”, VCUarts Qatar Interior Design alumna Asma Ul Hosna’s class will focus on realistic, fun and quick ideas to set up a home office, while “Design Thinking in Design and Entrepreneurship” by interdisciplinary designer, entrepreneur and VCUarts Qatar Fashion Design Professor Yang Soon Ju will show how design thinking can support self-expression and creativity more innovatively in the area of design and entrepreneurship. In the class titled, “Encouraging your Child’s Creativity at Home” participants will explore art ideas, exercises, and the benefits of providing creative and exploratory opportunities for children of all ages at home.
Using only basic stationery, kitchen resources and things from around the home, the instructor, Bridget Dunn will guide the students in how to make an exciting drawing, collage, sculpture, and painting and printing.