Recently, the first exhibition of Hailiang Rong Aixing's "Star Painting Exhibition" national tour was successfully concluded in Fengyueli, Shaoxing. With the goal of popularizing autism knowledge and enhancing the social integration of children with special needs, this exhibition has received public welfare support from 3 young artists, and the works of 14 autistic little painters have been reported by Zhejiang Satellite TV, Yueniu News and Shaoxing News Comprehensive Channel for many times, and have also appeared on the official public account and official website Home of Zhejiang Disabled Persons' Federation and Shaoxing Disabled Persons' Federation.
Everyone said that "the event was well organized" and "very socially significant". In the graduation season, the growth and development of children with special needs needs needs to be focused and considered. The creation of an environment for social integration also requires more innovative means and pragmatic exploration. The national tour exhibition of "Stars of the Stars" is widely linked with young artists at home and abroad, with children's desire for expression to grow freely, cross mountains and seas, and establish a closer connection with the world.
Beyond the link, the future of children with special needs is what the media, the government, parents, and teachers are really concerned about. In this little exhibition, everyone seems to see hope.
5 exhibitions of practice
Cross-border cooperation to explore the future of children with special needs
"Companionship is the best cure for loneliness!"
Children with special needs such as autism can pass the college entrance examination, college and then employment like ordinary children in the rehabilitation and integration stage. As one of the rehabilitation methods, art therapy not only helps children with special needs improve their concentration and emotional control, but also allows many children to find what they love and are good at. In 2024, Hailiang Rong Aixing will officially launch the "Star Journey Lighting Plan", vigorously excavating children with special needs with artistic talents and specialties, and cultivating them with professional paths, helping them show their talents in happiness and open up the road to future growth.
In February this year, the first solo exhibition of Liang Yizhang, a fusion student of Hailiang Education Tianma Experimental School, was unveiled in Shenzhen, which drove many parents and teachers to think about the artistic development of children with special needs. After nearly half a year of organization and social exhibition practice, 14 autistic young painters represented by Liang Yizhang have entered the public eye through the "Star Journey Lighting Project". Their paintings have been exhibited in Hangzhou, Beijing Water Cube, Henan International Youth Art Festival, and Yaoli Village, a "child-friendly art village" in Huzhou.
The vivid form of artistic presentation has also influenced and driven many caring people with social influence to join the Rongaixing public welfare partner queue to help the growth of children with special needs in multiple dimensions.
(*The above is only shown by some charity partners)
With the support of public welfare forces, Liang Yizhang, as the first autistic little painter discovered by Rongaixing's "Star Lighting Project", has been favored by the umbrella brand RABBITUU and the clothing fashion brand CryingCenter. With Liang Yizhang's landscape series of paintings as the main design elements, we have tried cross-border co-branded products, and the first co-branded umbrella has been launched.
The continuous good news has shown everyone that art cultivation may be a feasible path to light up the future of children with special needs.
Prepare for the establishment of an art studio
Village schools work together to light up the star journey
"Zhangzhang children, come on when you paint!"
With art as the medium, since June, Rongaixing's "Star Lighting Project" has collaborated with young artists from all over the world to actively prepare for the "Star Painting Exhibition" national tour, seeking a more large-scale and lasting social exploration. This initiative has attracted the attention of many rural innovation teams in Zhejiang, and Rong Aixing was invited to attend and participate in the "Songyang County Cultural Industry Empowerment Rural Revitalization Work Promotion and Project Exchange and Negotiation" to explore the resource advantages of cultural rural innovation and child-friendly art villages to provide beneficial assistance for the integrated growth of children with special needs such as autism.
After learning about Rong Aixing's "Star Journey Lighting Project" and Liang Yizhang, Huang Binbin, founder of Yaoli Village Rural Operation Team, Fei Xiang, dance artist and founder of Beijing Xiangxiang Culture Media, Zheng Dongdong, operator of Hangzhou's "706 Youth Space" urban living room, and Fan Fan, a senior rural cultural tourism operator, sent blessings to Liang Yizhang together. In the future, they will work with local township innovation teams to provide public welfare support for the landing of the national tour of the "Star Painting Exhibition".
At present, Rong Aixing has taken the lead in establishing a party building co-construction body with Yaoli Village, a "child-friendly art village", and has carried out the preparation of the "art studio", in order to become an exclusive space for children's long-term creation and exhibition.
Relying on the thousand-year-old kiln culture, Yaoli Village has worked closely with Peking University, Macao Polytechnic University and other universities to attract artists from all over the country to come to the village to create and develop industries such as art research and pastoral vacation, and has been successfully selected as the "Third Batch of Future Villages in Zhejiang Province in 2023". The beautiful scenery of the waterfront in the south of the Yangtze River and the cultural atmosphere of integration and innovation will help children with special needs to unleash their nature, feel the joy of childhood, and receive richer support for artistic cultivation, including painting, ceramics, calligraphy, poetry, handicrafts, music, dance, etc.
Huang Binbin, founder of Yaoli Village's rural operation team, said: "In public welfare cooperation and social communication, we should pay attention to the diversity of children with special needs, rather than emphasizing their disease. It's a more holistic perspective and friendlier. ”
Become acquainted with the master of intangible cultural heritage
Start a diversified star journey exploration
"Let the broken work come back to life!"
Not long ago, Liang Yizhang participated in the artist-in-residence activity initiated by Gu Shaobo, the inheritor of the celadon firing skills of the Yue kiln. During the event, Gu Shaobo and other young artists mentored Liang Yizhang to learn pottery making, "hoping that through the study of ceramic skills, Zhang Zhang will be inspired to create more new creative inspirations, such as painting on clay with new materials, painting with new brushwork and tools, and so on." ”
According to Mr. Gu Shaobo, there are mentally handicapped children around him. In his observation and contact, he often thinks about "how can I help them as a craftsman?" In Shaoxing's "Stars Exhibition", he learned that Liang Yizhang, a young autistic painter, had exhibited his works in many places across the country, and he was inspired. "There are opportunities to help children with special needs in intangible cultural heritage, but they still need to be explored and practiced."
He said: "Children with special needs may be discriminated against by those around them when they grow up, but this is not a problem, the most important thing is what kind of people will lead these children to understand the world." In his opinion, every child is very smart, but children with mental disabilities may be a little slower, and many people's potential is not explored. Through encouragement and support, it is important to help your child build confidence and courage. "Let him do it first, and train his courage to be bigger." "In the process of ceramic creation, everyone has to get together and communicate, which is itself an integrated environment."
During the two-day residency, Liang Yizhang experimented with the creative process of large-scale artifacts and created his favorite group portraits of small animals. Liang Yizhang's mother said: "It seems to have brought the children to a paradise, the outdoor is a natural oxygen bar, and the indoor is full of enthusiastic teachers." It's a long way to go, but the kids have gained a lot and had a lot of fun. ”
In addition to the identity of the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Mr. Gu Shaobo is also a representative of the Shaoxing Municipal People's Congress, and he hopes to give full play to his social influence, so that more children with special needs can join the "Star Journey Lighting Project" of Rong Aixing, not only painting, but also through the learning and inheritance of ceramic intangible cultural heritage skills to find social value and achieve self-reliance.
At this stage, Gu Shaobo's studio is still exploring more possibilities to provide assistance to people with special needs. "The process of making pottery inevitably fails, but even if the porcelain is broken, there is also a repair process, such as welding it together with metal, which is a new work," he said. Although it was broken at first, it also gave us new inspiration. True art will bring a broken work back to life. The same is true for human growth, after having difficulties, there is no need to be afraid, just keep overcoming them. ”