With Love, Access Everywhere. Just Love Art. The Inauguration of the University and College Students Adapted Art Expression Experience Summer Camp
In order to encourage physically and mentally disabled students to actively participate in group activities during the summer vacation, the Ministry of Education (MOE) held the ‘University and College Students Adapted Art Expression Summer Camp in the Academic Year 109’ in Taichung and Nantou over four days from August 11 to 14, with the participation of 40 students with physical and mental disabilities from all over Taiwan. These students stimulated the five senses through scribble techniques in the field of art therapy, relieved emotions through paintings and explored the theme meaning of creative expression. Minister Pan, Wen-Chung of the MOE also attended the event venue on the afternoon of the 11th to participate in the artistic experience activities of game painting with students.
Minister Pan stated that for disadvantaged special education students, the summer camp activities in recent years have made many breakthroughs and changes, including activities that are almost inaccessible in daily life, such as:
·touring Hualien by train in 2017,
·in combination with humanities, science and technology, visiting the TSMC Museum of Innovation to experience scientific and technological innovation in 2018,
·combining art expression and art creation courses, to edify students’ aesthetic literacy, and even holding a ‘Brave New World’ Painting Exhibition at National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities last year in 2019.
Additionally, in 2020, the MOE combined adapted art expression with visual arts, pottery creation, leisure tourism and five-sense experiences to arrange camp activities. This is not only an exceptional learning experience, but also the intention of the MOE to offer long-term support to disadvantaged special education students.
The most valuable points of holding the art summer camp are that, in addition to promoting exchanges among students with different categories of disabilities, students studying special education in university departments and graduate institutes are able to implement the curriculum theory they have studied by taking responsibility to act as service staff, carrying out camp course guidance and service of special education students, thereby specifically demonstrating the integration of ordinary and special education students.
Chen-Tang, Hou, vice-president of the National Taichung University of Education, which hosted this adapted expression art summer camp, indicated that the purpose of this summer camp is to guide students with different categories of disabilities to participate in diverse art creation experience courses and learning and exchange of art exploration, through visiting and observing of art creation courses and arts activities, to stimulate imagination and creativity. Meanwhile, through the guidance of adapted art experience activities, participants can explore their inner selves as well as internal and external interactions in the world, and good interpersonal relationships will be enhanced.
