The future is BRIGHT
Ghana | In this blog we are happy to share more news from the workshops in Ghana, organized by Edwin Otta and Thamon van Blokland and sponsored with materials by the Royal Talens Foundation. This time, the workshops took place at a Senior High School in a small town called Wiamoase, located in the heart of the Ashanti region.
A mural for the school
Thamon and Edwin reached out to the school with the idea of hosting a series of workshops for the visual art department of their school. The goal of these workshops was to collectively come up with a design for a mural painting on the school wall. After a couple of meetings with the school's officials, they received approval from the headmaster to host our workshops.
The workshops themselves were hosted by Thamon van Blokland and Rachel Owusu. The first workshop was attended by more than 50 third-year visual art students, who almost didn’t fit the classroom!
Workshop 1: What does the future hold?
The workshop started with an inspiring discussion about possible career paths in the art industry and an introduction to social design. From there, they went on to discuss the most important question: how do these students see their future in today’s society in Ghana? The answer to this question would then be the start for the design for our mural painting. And after some playful exercises to loosen the students up and having them write their thoughts on paper, they concluded: BRIGHT is the future they foresee for themselves.
Workshop 2: Collective design
The aim of the second workshop was to collectively design the letters for the word BRIGHT together with a group of 25 visual arts students. To have all the students work in the same style, Thamon and Rachel cleverly had some shape tools cut out with a laser cutter. With these tools the students could let their creativity go wild, while still working within the same framework or style. Next to that, the students had coloured pencils, Sakura fineliners, and thick A4 paper sheets to draw and sketch their letters, sponsored by the Foundation.
The students proved to be very productive and within two hours they ended up with a table full of variations of the letters for the word BRIGHT. The name of the student was written on the back of every letter variation and then the students were given the opportunity to hand-pick their favorite composition of letters.
Thamon, Edwin and Rachel were very happy with the end results and the enthusiasm the students exhibited during these workshops.
Impressions
Below you can see some images which give an impression of the workshop. It was both creative and very fun! Curious about the other workshops in Ghana? You can read about it here.
Supported projects
The Royal Talens Foundation has provided art materials to the Palestine Humanitarian Response Centre (PHRC) for their upcoming Children's Hub in Cairo. This initiative aims to offer creative outlets and trauma relief to Palestinian children who have fled Gaza and currently lack access to formal education.
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At the Royal Talens Foundation, we're delighted to share the impactful work of Villa Zapakara, a nonprofit organization in Suriname dedicated to enriching children's lives through educational and cultural programs. Their current initiative, running from August 2024 through December 2026, demonstrates how creative materials can play a vital role in connecting young people with their cultural heritage.
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The Royal Talens Foundation is proud to support Aisha & Friends in their meaningful work at the Kilifi County Referral Hospital's children's ward in Kenya. In October 2024, art supplies donated by the foundation brought creativity and joy to over 30 young patients and hospital staff.
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In a heartwarming collaboration this October, the Royal Talens Foundation provided art materials to Le Nid d'Artistes ("The Artist's Nest"), enabling 30 young artists to bring their imaginative worlds to life through creative workshops in Switzerland. The initiative specifically reached children from modest backgrounds, including young refugees from countries like Iran and Ukraine, who might otherwise not have access to quality art education.
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