Project Description:
Through a partnership with Tough Dumplin Records, this program provides an arts education working session between contemporary musicians and primary level students. These workshops facilitate the production of creative collaborative works with the students and musician and engaging in critical thought and analysis about common global issues affecting young people. The 2007 program is supported by artist mentor K'Naan, a Somalian-Canadian, Juno Award-winning musician and Care Canada who contribute multimedia content to the program’s learning modules.
To book a program for your school:
Arts Education Program Request Sheet
word doc
Project Objectives:
- Facilitate the creation of content through creative collaboration between children and artists;
- Create new collaborative works that are representative and inclusive of children's expression;
- Increase the presence of the arts within the education system and in the community;
- Use timely and relevant vehicles for engagement with genres of music such as hip hop and rhythm and blues;
- Impact on shaping students' self-esteem;
- Provide students with an innovative practice that encourages creativity, learning and participation;
- Arm students with a new artistic skill for self-expression at a critical stage of social development; and
- Voice children's ideas and concerns through an arts outlet.
Activity Overview:
This program includes multimedia content that explores K'Naan's life, music and journey from Somalia to arrive in Canada through formats which are digestible to young audiences. This portion of the activity engages young people in group discussions about their thoughts and opinions about violence and its impact on young people. Class work also involves commentary by K'Naan and exploration of lyrics he has created to express his experiences as a young person escaping armed conflict. His music is used as the catalyst for young people to create their own expressive artistic content.
The collaborative process begins with a discussion between the artist and the students; this educates students on the music production process and stimulates participation and brainstorming on issues and ideas raised by the students. The artist - Tristan Graham, teaches students how to write lyrical rhymes, associate words with the expression of ideas and concepts for their written contribution. Graham works with the students to create their own song as a group, alongside music; he then records each student's lyrics. Once there is ample content, Graham takes all of the contributions to the recording studio where the final song is produced. The song is then distributed back to the students. Students are able to own and hear the result of their own creative outputs. Additionally, students will create their own visual artwork associated with the project (including CD cover, and CD advertisement posters).
Projects 