Colours of Odyssey: Perspectives, Penang through the Eyes of the Children

Event Description

Odyssey The Global Preschool will be taking part in one of Penang’s most prestigious event of the year, George Town Festival 2015. Odyssey will be organising its flagship art charity event Colours of Odyssey at the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery to showcase children’s artistic expressions and creations, and to encourage the spirit of philanthropy from a young age. This is the first time that the George Town Festival will be featuring an exhibition that involves artists below the age of 6.

This year’s exhibition, titled ‘Colours of Odyssey: Perspectives, Penang through the Eyes of the Children’, will document the aesthetic development of Odyssey’s children as they express their view of Penang through their artistic interpretations. All proceeds from the sale of artworks will be donated to UNICEF.

Inspiration behind Colours of Odyssey

The approach, pedagogy, curriculum and culture of Odyssey The Global Preschool stem largely from Reggio Emilia, a town in Northern Italy. Inspired by the town’s exhibition “The Hundred Languages of Children”, Colours of Odyssey was launched in 2009 in Singapore and has progressed from an annual showcase of the children’s aesthetic prowess to an iconic community advocacy project that commemorates the dynamism of the children, teachers and parents as active participants of the community.

The showcase engages children from 2 to 6 years old through exploration with innovative art techniques and mixed media such as photography, acrylic painting, mixed media, digital art, clay sculpting and light installations. All artworks are completed by the children under the guidance and support of Odyssey’s Art Specialists, who are part of the versatile team of educators at Odyssey. Given their specialised art qualifications and training, Odyssey Art Specialists bring in their talent, knowledge and expertise in art, which a regular classroom teacher might not be as equipped to do. For example, Art Specialist Herman Abu Bakar from the Fourth Avenue, Singapore campus was trained at LaSalle SIA College of the Arts in the area of Fine Arts. He immerses children in creative and visual art experiences by exposing them to various exploratory art forms and mediums.

A part of George Town Festival

This is the first year that Colours of Odyssey will be held outside of Singapore and exhibited at Penang State Museum and Art Gallery. “The George Town Festival has yet to feature an exhibit that involves the work of pre-schoolers, and we are excited to be part of this prestigious event that is in line with our objectives to celebrate the arts, culture, and community” says Kelly Hor, Director of Schools at Odyssey. This year’s theme, ‘Perspectives, Penang through the Eyes of the Children’, calls on and challenges children’s creativity to relate their ideas, perspectives and opinions about the Penang they live in; her culture, traditions, delicacies and landmarks.

http://theodyssey.my/events-news/1-2-august-2015-colours-odyssey-2015-perspectives-penang-through-eyes-children