Giant painting recently displayed in Athens, Greece
UAE: Students from Dubai British School recently took part in a global art initiative aimed at teaching youth about the destructive nature of war and the importance of peace. The project, called Kids' Guernica, encourages children around the world to create peace paintings on large (3.5 m × 7.8m) canvases - the same size as Pablo Picasso's "Guernica", 1937, which protested against the brutality of bombing in the town of Gernika during the Spanish Civil War.
DBS is the first school in the United Arab Emirates to be involved in the project.
Ten students from DBS worked for four months on the painting, which depicts many images of war as well as peace. While working on the project, the children, aged 6 to 17 were encouraged to conduct research on the internet to find images and articles that were relevant to war for inspiration. Students participated in discussions about the world's conflicts, why wars happen and the important role they play in promoting peace around the world.
Elliot Byrne, a year six student at DBS expressed his enjoyment working on the project, as it meant he could spend extra time with his colleagues and take part in a meaningful activity. "It's exciting too because a painting that I helped make went on display in Athens," he explained.
Sara Lowndes, a teacher who co-facilitated the project, recently returned from Athens, Greece where the DBS painting was displayed alongside 16 paintings from children around the world.
"This was a wonderful experience for the children as well as for me," she says. "The students took a lot of time and put in a tremendous effort to not only participate in an art project, but to learn about why there is violence in the world and how we can try to stop it.
"Kids' Guernica is an amazing grassroots initiative that has really taken off and is now in more than 30 countries. While we were working on the painting we actively discussed important issues on the topics of war and peace and the students were so interested they often brought the discussion home and continued it with their parents," explains Sara.
The Kids' Guernica project was initiated by ART JAPAN NETWORK in 1995, the year of the 50th anniversary of World War II. More than 221 wonderful paintings have been completed for this project to date.
-Ends-
About Dubai British School (DBS)
DBS, a co-educational school offering the National Curriculum for England and Wales for children aged three to 18, has created an environment that is close to home allowing for a seamless transition for students. With a curriculum that is broadly based yet tailored to meet individual needs, the students flourish, grow in self-confidence and, above all, fulfill their potential.
© Press Release 2007
