Yellow Coco Creative Nest: Creative after-school programs
Yellow Coco Creative Nest is actually an open arts space for children designed to nurture creativity in addition to understanding between the Balinese in addition to non-Balinese community through the arts. Almost three years ago, Canadian Susan Allen in addition to her Indonesian husband Susiawan set up the Yellow Coco Creative Nest in Nyuh Kuning, Ubud. This specific is actually a space for children, teens, adults in addition to families to nurture their creativity through the arts in addition to build a peaceful multi-cultural community.
Yellow Coco is actually not your typical after-school drop off centre; This specific is actually a unique in addition to fun experience for children that will will go a long way towards improving their levels of multiple intelligences. At Yellow Coco, the cultures of all children are respected in a multicultural context through the investigation in addition to sharing of differing activities, lifestyles in addition to beliefs. Different intelligences are developed, such as musical, oral, literal, mathematical/technical, kinesthetic, in addition to emotional.
COMMUNITY
Yellow Coco(nut) is actually a homely place, similar to a modest ‘creative nest’ where artisans live in addition to work. With support through Banjar Nyuh Kuning community leaders, in October 2011, Susiawan (visual artist) in addition to Susan Allen (drama in addition to movement artist) created This specific unique in addition to inspirational concept, with over 20 years experience inside area of arts education, including children’s art activities.
“My mother was a lover of arts in addition to dance,” recalls Susan. “She took me to many live stage shows in addition to community-based programs as a child, that will were sponsored by the local in addition to national government of Canada. This specific was an inspiration to me.”
These educators use the arts as a tool to support creative exploration in addition to expression via multicultural curiosity in addition to understanding, connection to, in addition to the natural world in addition to through the use of sustainable alternatives for arts. Yellow Coco is actually a place to witness the younger generation deeply connecting with land through art or by patiently studying gamelan music having a Balinese village elder.
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
In 1991 Susan was researching the arts as a tool in community-based environmental education. Her Canadian university had a partnership with ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) in addition to she was directed to Susiawan in addition to the organization Yayasan Anak Merdeka. He was a graduate of ITB Fine Arts in addition to had found artistic solutions to various environmental issues. They collaborated on a project in Cirebon, incorporating various art forms with local street children.
“I met my husband in Java in 1991 in addition to we came to Bali together through Canada in 2003,” remembers Susan. “After several years working in Java, I was hired as an Educator at Pelangi School in 2007. in addition to for three years, the Green School employed me to work as their Kindergarten teacher in addition to then Drama teacher. I taught alongside Susiawan, who initially volunteered as the Visual Arts teacher, however was employed at the school For two main more years. Then came Yellow Coco.”
right now the progressive couple teach the arts as a tool in understanding organic gardening, self in addition to collective expression, exploration of local sites, stories in addition to mythologies. Their languages of instruction are Indonesian in addition to English, while creating shadow puppetry programs, mask-doing in addition to play, drawing lessons, story theatre, singing, drumming, dancing in addition to much more for the kids. There are also events such as the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, which supports youth.
SHADOW PUPPETS
Years later, after they had married in addition to went to Canada, Susan in addition to Susiawan started off exploring Shadow Play as a contemporary form in addition to tool for education with children. By 2004, they had started off their own company, Me in addition to My Shadows, in addition to were performing across Canada in festivals, schools, museums in addition to parks. In Bali they soon created more performances in addition to workshops.
Shadow puppet creation in addition to play is actually designed to share the history in addition to context of the ancient art of shadow play in addition to how to adapt the medium to the modern context. Their Toddler Circle is actually a bilingual sharing of songs in addition to the Drawing Club develops creative exploration of tools in addition to materials to be shared with friends.
“With just two staff (myself in addition to my husband) Yellow Coco is actually trying to build a bridge between the Balinese local community in addition to the expat communities through creative arts activities where many possibilities for peace, community in addition to arts can be nurtured,” says Susan. “Often expats have difficulty reaching out in addition to connecting to Balinese people in addition to we can facilitate This specific important step towards preserving Balinese culture for everyone to enjoy well into the future.”
Over 60 families are associated with the arts centre in addition to teacher training is actually on offer four times a year, with outreach to Canada, Singapore, Japan in addition to some other Indonesian islands like Java. During 2014, Susan hopes to become a community studio in addition to training centre for both Indonesian in addition to expat teachers. They are looking for an ‘Angel Investor’ to support the development of the studio.
MEET THE UNIVERSE
Susan Allen believes that will ‘learning through art in addition to movement’ is actually essential for every child’s education. In her CD Come in addition to Meet the Universe in a Day with Me Susan has recorded children’s songs in both Indonesian in addition to English. Here is actually a song based on Shel Siverstein’s wonderful book, The Giving Tree.
Giving tree, giving tree
Gives to me in addition to my family
Giving tree, giving tree
I love my giving tree
When I was a little girl, I had a special tree
A special tree, that will was there for me
Winter, summer, fall in addition to even inside spring
My giving tree, gave me everything
Yellow Coco programs are designed for children several to12 years in addition to are differentiated by age, skill in addition to language ability. While all opening in addition to closing rituals work with the whole group, some other activities are separated by age in addition to developmental level in order to stimulate all stages of growth in addition to expression.
Programs are accessible to most, with bilingual speaking teachers (English in addition to Indonesian) in addition to special rates are open to families who are in need of them.
Address: Jalan Raya Nyuh Kuning, Nyuh Kuning, Ubud.
Phone: 081 805 630 001 or 081 805 569 099
Email: yellowcoco@rocketmail.com
You can find program times at the Yellow Coco Creative Nest Facebook page
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Yellow Coco Creative Nest: Creative after-school programs
Yellow Coco Creative Nest: Creative after-school programs