GAME (Grassroots Advancing Multi-Media Eco-education) for Children, February 2008
Sculpting Island Community and Protecting our Natural Legacy
Enigmata Biodiversity and Art Education through Popular Multi-Media
The world of children is animated and dynamic. Educating children needs a multi-faceted approach in a creative setting. Technology has done wonders in the lives of people, but the challenge lies in the context where we teach without loosing the value of personalized human touch. For instance, stories are powerful tools in making children reconnect with their culture and appreciation of their roots. We need to revive the tradition of story telling where children are nurtured in a holistic way as they learn the living values of environmental and cultural preservation in their own language with the use of multi-media.
Since the island has limited resource materials and multi-media equipment (such as only one LCD projector is available for all the 72 schools), 90% of the children have no access to multi-media and internet access not to mention that most schools do not have computers. Activities like multi-media showcase and art film festivals can open new windows for the children to see beyond the four walls, discover other cultures and other environment.
Enigmata Creative Circle, Inc. (Enigmata), in partnership with Department of Education (DepEd) and Camiguin Polytechnic State College (CPSC) initiated the first contemporary Kinamiguin Biodiversity Children’s Story Telling in the Island last February 2007 during the February Arts Month Celebration entitled; “Islakwatsa Eco-Cultural Kids Story Telling Festival” sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) featuring “Dula sa Gabon” theater production which was showcased nine times in two weeks in all the five municipalities in over 40 schools, involving more than 800 DepEd students and teachers. In the same event, an entry to the international children’s story telling festival “Tell Me a Story Mr. Cloud Project” was shown in two parts; “Earth Song and Isla” sponsore by Patrimoine Sans Frontieres, Paris, France. One colorful highlight during this event was the mobile exhibit as an output on the recycled soft sculpture and tapestry workshop “Oikos Natura” brought to Camiguin by House of Comfort. These are some of what we have started which needs reinforcement and improvement.
In popularizing eco-cultural preservation in the island, there is a need to work on audience development in a dynamic venue inside and outside the classroom. Camiguin is one of the epicenter of world’s marine biodiversity and being a growing ecotourism destination, environmental degradation is inevitable. Educating the young is the most proactive measure we want to reinforce in the preservation of our natural heritage and to sustain the health of this island.
Project Description:
The proposed project is a package of creative processes in developing multi-media resource materials like indigenized story books, short films, and printing of (BACK-UP) Biodiversity Art Childrens’ Kinamiguin User-friendly Pictionary that shall be mounted as the first children’s picture dictionary in Kinamiguin, Visaya, Tagalog and English Language. This resource book can later be used in 72 schools in 58 barangays in the island. Children’s Art film Festivals for Environment (CAFFE) can be a good alternative venue from mainstream television since popular media has a very strong impact on the lives of children. Another main component is product development out of recycled materials like scrap clothes, plastic bags, bottles which can become souvenir items for tourists in the island as part of local community Creative Home Indigenized Local Designs (CHILD) enterprise project. The works and stories of children will be showcased in a BIO (Biodiversity Island’s Original) Showroom “Balay Kinabuhi.”
Objectives and Expected Output:
To strengthen advocacy for child-friendly programs in Camiguin and deepen community values and participation in eco-cultural preservation through a creative local enterprise
To animate children’s classrooms and the community with environmental friendly and culture-sensitive multi-media resource materials
To produce a biodiversity children’s animated multi-media pictionary coupled with a video animation in Kinamiguin language for Department of Education classrooms
To popularize the use of media such as art film making and appreciation in the biodiversity context
To develop creative recycling enterprise for children utilizing scrap materials to showcase endangered species and biodiversity of Camiguin
To build an Island Showroom as part of creative enterprise for the works of the children for display or for sale which will serve as the children’s community museum
Target Group(s):
· Children, youth and local educators (estimate of 11,686 elementary pupils, 5,743 high school students, Ecotour Students and 492 school teachers);
Issue(s) to be Addressed:
Strengthening advocacy in environmental and cultural preservation with childrens’ direct participation in biodiversity and heritage conservation.
Project Implementation Site(s):
Multi-media presentations, exhibits and showcases, theater road shows, art film showings and interactive workshops will be done in all five municipalities, 58 barangays and 72 schools under Department of Education in Camigiuin Province, i.e. Sagay, Catarman, Guinsiliban, Mahinog and Mambajao. Enigmata has a signed Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Education (DepEd) which channels all programs and communication through the office of the Schools Division Superintendent, Province of Camiguin.
Project Duration:
Phase 1 - One school-year June 2007-March 2008
Project Benefits and Impact:
This collaborative project is one of its kind and the first eco-cultural experience to support the vision of a rich eco-cultural tourism in this island for biodiversity conservation. The main beneficiaries of this project is the school children and youth of the Department of Education. This is an investment of a lifetime in opening the minds of the children. When we create wonderful children, then we have a wonderful future.
Popular media has a very strong impact on the lives of children. In Camiguin where there are limited cultural events and concrete cultural development programs, initiatives like Children’s Cultural Story Banking, Animating Classrooms, Indigenizing Resource Materials using the vernacular “Kinamiguin” Language for biodiversity conservation and cultural regeneration, mounting mobile exhibit/ showcase is a very valuable project for audience development. Children will start to use Kinamiguin language with pride. A resource material like the Kinamiguin biodiversity pictionary is a pioneering effort in this island which will enrich all the DepEd schools as we try to popularize the use of the vernacular language.
A showroom shall be the link to the real community experience with the tourists or visitors. The creative enterprise is important in the tourism industry to generate resources while children are given a voice to express their visions and dreams for their environment. This is a valuable process where local talents and skills are honed and developed.
Lastly, direct beneficiaries of this project shall be exposed to high quality learning conditions with the help of experts and seasoned facilitators which is a one-stop-shop package.
Sculpting Community is rather a more challenging task than just sculpting concrete or wood. The long lasting impact can become intergenerational which shapes society in general. The amount of passion and intention with the help of exposure and a dash of talent is what makes the life of a development artist and biodiversity art animator more fulfilled. It is making one’s life the greatest work of art that matters most, and so others can be inspired to do the same.
Project Collaborators
The main actors of this project will be a team of passionate visionaries namely:
Maria Josefa P. Patilla, Ph.D. (Consultant), Elinor M. Abuton (Consultant), and Ma. Rosalie A. Zerrudo (Project Coordinator). The implementing Enigmata artists are the following; Kublai Millan, Waway Saway, Errol Balcos, Chico Barreto, Oliver Paderanga, Soni Kum, and Tatting Soliva.
Methodologies and Strategies:
1. Children’s Art film Festivals for Environment (CAFFE). Specially chosen environmental art films will be shown in schools for a series of film appreciation workshops in the classroom. This can also show the works done by the children and the slides production develop during the previous Earht Camps
2. Publication of (BACK-UP) Biodiversity Art Childrens’ Kinamiguin User-friendly Pictionary and Mounting of the animated Kinamiguin Biodiversity slides. The wealth of resource materials, workshop outputs developed by the children consolidated, will be mounted together into a multi-media animated slide production and in printed publication as “BACK-UP”
3. Creative Homemade Indigenized Local Designs (CHILD) enterprise project. A local enterprise development to continue the creation of original designs and one-of-a-kind endangered species in soft sculpture and wall drapes. An intensive workshop in all the schools will be conducted all year round to popularize techniques and let at least each child make a voice for one species and a story with it. The output of the workshop will then be showcased in the showroom as either for exhibit or for sale.
4. BIO (Biodiversity Island’s Original) Showroom “Balay Kinabuhi.”
The Island Showroom shall serve as community museum where all the works of the children will be on display or for sale. The Showroom serves as the “must-see” souvenir shop in the island and tourists can buy local products made by children. The showroom will be constructed using recycled materials and junk art. It will serve as a children’s community museum.
5. Re-showcase of “Dula sa Gabon” as a Popular Story Telling Material
A one hour theater production involves twenty-five cast of volunteer Ecotourism students from CPSC shall continue the story telling tradition inside and outside the classroom. “Dula sa Gabon” (The Story of the Clouds) tackles the cultural tradition of Camiguin, popularizing Kinamiguin Language and critical environmental issues through contemporary theater.
