All Photography by Paula Cox. www.paulacoxart.com Julienne Dolphin Wilding www.dolphinwilding.com Contact artformadagascar@gmail.com

Friday, December 18, 2009

Workshop in Ambohimahamasina with Julienne Dolphin Wilding




Key words Discussed:
Constructive
Criticism
Experiment
Assert
Positive
Feedback
Confidence
Trust
Teamwork
Competition
Assumption
Anticipate
Judge
False Praise
Asking Questions
Problem Solving
Negative
Jealousy
Yes but…
Superior
Hierarchy
Abstract
Fear
Fantasy
Honesty
Brainstorming



Feedback Madagascar helped to create the woman’s association ‘Soamiray’ in Ambohimahamasina to develop basketry into a sustainable and income-generating activity. Now Soamiray is making products of better quality that are ready for the international market.
Basket Weavers post

First day. The workshop was of intensive discussion and constructive 'games' with me speaking in English with translation into French by Romain, followed by a translation into Malagasy by Vero. One woman had walked twelve kilometers to attend the work shop with the much needed sewing machine on her head. The point of the key words was to introduce the possibility of ‘professional’ communication skills between the co op as there are many rifts between the women due to their complex hierarchical system. The thirty one women were eager and attentive and once their shyness was overcome they beamed creativity. They had brought their unfinished product work with them but were happy to be introduced to the idea of improvisation exercises as a means to communicate. The second day was a more technical as we were refining strengthening existing designs, which was a relief as the sewing machine was finally used when I demonstrated to the women an alternative to the woven bag handles.

Second day: Workshop Sessions were animated to express communication skills these were: Miming the personality and characteristics of objects or beings. Silent impersonations and Surrealist folding drawing game. We went on to technical improvements after lunch.

Previously to the work shop Ambohimahamasina we visited the Association Relais with Romain,
Samantha and Vero from Feedback Madagascar. Relais has bought up a disused government owed car factory in Fianarantsoa to house the arrival of tons of second hand clothing that is bought from the charity organisations in France. These are bound up as bales with wire and plastic. I devised a way to fashion a bag handle from the plastic strapping by making a fabric sleeve. I then demonstrated how the wire from the bales can be threaded into the woven lengths to make ridged sticks for the lamp supports.

New Products brainstorming

Lamps, Children’s toys, Mobiles, Hot pot holders, Slippers, Belts, Tea strainer, Cut out shapes for door privacy/fly curtain e.g. birds(Paula's Amnesty International dove design)butterflies, stars etc.


Product Analysis
Sampling
Strengths
Weaknesses
Colour
Detail
Decoration
Finish
Texture
Shape
Construction
Form
Size
“Where is the fault?”
“Where will it break?”
Drawing
Model
Proto type
Test


Click on group photo to enlarge

















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