AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry
AREFS art and culture association
  • Savon Radan ryhmä organizes activities along the historical Savo line

THIS IS MY BACKYARD - 2013-2014 - PUBLICATION

Cover idea for the publication THIS IS MY BACKYARD

cover idea for the publication TÄMÄ ON MÏNUN TAKAPIHANI - THIS IS MY BACKYARD
mono-print Rämälä school 1st class

The art education program TÄMÄ ON MINUN TAKAPIHANI - THIS IS MY BACKYARD has been very successful. It has been planned as an original view on the personal habitat of young children. After the program TÄMÄ ON MEIDÄN LUONTOMME - THIS IS OUR NATURE it was clear that more experiences in this direction were needed. The intention of TÄMÄ ON MÏNUN TAKAPIHANI - THIS IS MY BACKYARD was to have time to go into the children's view and thoughts about their relation with their habitat.
After one year the program has ended and even a continuation of it would be a great challenge it is not possible by lack of a budget.

Over 200 children, teachers and parents have been participating in 54 workshops during school year 2013-2014. Most subjects were presented in series of 3 or 4 workshops and most classes were visiting the art museum in Mikkeli.

During the program the development of Mikkeli countryside was a hot item. The Mikkeli government decided to close different rural schools and VR (Finnish Railway) decided to close different stops at small villages. It is difficult to explain to children that a healthy and well-being country side has no economic value.

THE BOOK

This publication will be the second volume in our art and nature project. It is intend to document and visualize the contemporary history of rural regions by the view of children. These children are the future generation and have their roots in rural landscape and nature. It is valuable and important to understand the way these roots are part of the development and surviving of people in rural regions. Since nature is vital for every human being, we investigate how everyone can be part of the natural elements.

In the book we will connect visually and textual the different layers of our experiences and survey during the implementation of the main program.
It concerns the following main aspects:
- a. creative and artistic processes of children and their imagination of their native habitat
- b. landscape, nature and historical characteristics as part of a contemporary rural society
- c. unconventional topographic mapping of a rural region
- d. art and poetry classes to explore a rural habitat

In the book we plan to give attention to the development of the landscape and history, and the way children experience their native habitat. By going out of the childlike approach it is possible to find new ways to explore the value of the rural landscape and nature. By connecting the childlike imagination to the own perception the user of the book can go exploring unexpected rural areas.

Therefore the book will be based on the art works and texts of children, their parents, visual artists, writers, historians, teachers, and others relevant to the content. These artistic expressions are part of the study how the relationship between the habitat in early childhood effects the way reality is experienced later. The book will explain both illustrate the influence of their habitat on children.

By documenting some characteristics from the past, both the landscape and population concerning, can give contemporary traditions a different meaning.

The book is intended to develop a methodical approach for art lessons about this subject which can be added to the school curriculum.

The involved experts in the field of art, art education, poetry and history shall contribute to a high quality of the content of the publication. They are invited to pay attention to unexpected perspectives on the selected topics.

As soon as AREFS is able to cover the cost of the publication they will start with the editing of the book.

CONTENT OF THE BOOK
It is the intention to use different points of view to cross border fixed opinions.

HISTORAL CHARACTERISTICS THE RURAL REGION CONCERNING
population
agriculture
forestry
domestication
infrastructure

LANDSCAPE/GEOLOGY CHARACTERISTICS THE AREA CONCERNING
forest
fields
lakes
rocks
swamps

ART EDUCATION/METHODICAL APPROACH
painting
printing
drawing
poetry

TARGET GROUP
The book will be accessible and valuable for a diverse audience.
children and parents
teachers
artists
government/officials
researchers
visitors

BOOK INFO
size 250x250 mm
pages about 250
full color
hard cover
satin paper
text in English and Finnish
35€/copy reduction by larger amounts

 

 

   
 

 

 
©2009 AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry, Finland. All rights reserved.
No reproduction by any means or in any language without prior permission of the author.