Pupils of junior high school in a reading session
The Educational Program of The Alakondre Dragongirl and the exhibition Alakondre Tori.
Together with the publication of my novel ‘Het Alakondre Drakenmeisje’ (Alakondre dragon girl) and within my solo exhibition ‘Alakondre tori’ (Alakondre story), I organized an art educational program for youngsters from the age of 12 to 20 years.
Readytex Art Gallery @ Steenbakkerijstraat 30, Paramaribo, Suriname
Art education, Readytex Art Gallery and Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi.
Through the years, Readytex Art Gallery at Steenbakkerijstraat 30 in Paramaribo, Suriname, grew into a platform for national and international visual art. Suriname does not have art museums. That is why, Readytex Art Gallery is often used for educational efforts.
The reading sessions were led by students of I.O.L., Instituut voor de Opleiding van Leraren (Advanced Teachers Training Institute), department for studies in the Dutch language
I (Kit-Ling) am a partner-artist at Readytex Art Gallery. Next to my profession as a visual artist, at the turn of the century I also started to perform as a writer. I wrote among others, informative articles on Surinamese visual artists. (Published in PIT, a monthly magazine) and in de Ware Tijd, a daily newspaper).
An international highlight was receiving the Bridget Jones Travel Award of the ‘Society for Caribbean Studies’ in 2013, for my essay ‘The Space in Between’.
As a charter member and secretary of the Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname (FVAS) (1998 – 2017), I was involved in the development and management of all ‘Community Art’ and ‘Art Educational’ projects of this organization. I also participated in these art projects as a visual artist.
Youngsters are looking around in search of their favorite painting
The educational program of ‘The Alakondre dragon girl’ and ‘Alakondre tori’.
The educational program started with youngsters of junior and senior high schools visiting the exhibition. The visits started with these teenagers just looking around at the paintings in the exhibition. Based on the works, they considered to be the most interesting paintings, stories or a part of a story were read out loud. At every session the youngsters and I, had a little interaction. Most of the time, it was just asking some questions and I was telling a little bit about myself. Every session ended very common to Suriname, with them enjoyed barra’s with pommecythere chutney and chocolate cookies.
Another reading session by pupils of the fourth grade of junior high school
At the presentation of the book on October 1st, 2022, Mrs. Lorain Lepelblad (Library Department of the Ministry of Education) told me that she was willing to support me in the educational program. We decided to have a competition for all junior and senior high schools in Suriname. The competition was called: PRIJSVRAAG TEKEN/ SCHILDER, SCHRIJF, PERFORM (COMPETITION DRAW/ PAINT, WRITE AND PERFORM).
Prizes and categories:
- A prize for the double talented student. One student makes a drawing or a painting and writes a short story or a poem about the same subject.
- A prize for a couple. Two students work together. One student draws or paints and another writes. Both students work together on the same subject and there had to be a beautiful connection between the visual work and the text.
- A prize for a group for writing the lyrics of a song or RAP, and the performance of the song or the RAP.
The prizegiving ceremony got a lot of attention
For each category there was a prize on the level of junior high school and another prize on the level of senior high school. The school with the best submissions also won a prize.
The educational program was closed with a prizegiving ceremony and an exhibition of the works of the students in the project. The prizegiving ceremony was on May 5, 2023, and the exhibition on May 5 and 6, 2023 at the HAL @ Grote Combéweg 45.
The winner of the category Performance was selected during the supporting program of the prizegiving ceremony
Prizewinners of Performance, Category C: MULO KWATTA 1: Syesha Wongsodikromo, Tacharell Lapar and Yoma Apinsa
Winner of Category A, V.O.J.: Ishaan Badal, Bueno Bibazschool, Nieuw Nickerie
Winner of Category A, V.O.S.: Rani Doebrie, Scholengemeenschap Tamanredjo, Commewijne
Winners Category B, V.O.J – niveau: Alicia Milan and Elias Noehamad, MULO Ellen, Commewijne
Winners Category B, V.O.S.: Jeremain Clemens and Rafael Sidoel, VWO – 4, Paramaribo
The prize for the school with the best submissions was a Samsung tablet and VOJ Copieweg, Para won this prize.
All pupils with a score of 10 points (Excellent!) for their drawing/ painting or a score of 8+ (Good to excellent) for their story/ poem also earned a prize. These pupils are also living in the various districts of Suriname.
Photos Alakondre Drakenmeisje. Bookpresentation.
Photos Solo exhibition ‘Alakondre tori’. Opening reception
