ADMAF and START workshops deliver hands on tuition for children with special needs

The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) completed a series of workshops in conjunction with the START programme, providing an opportunity for children with special needs to practice their drawing and painting skills.

Five START workshops, named "Wednesday Wonders", took place at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage in the Talent and Creativity Centre, over a period of six weeks. Staffed by enthusiastic volunteers including those from ’Takatof Social Volunteer Programme’ of the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy’, the workshops resounded with happy chatter and the sound of paint on canvas. Leaders and volunteers prepared canvases with geometrical templates inspired by leading Arab artists, and traditional Emirati artwork, leaving the children to choose their colour schemes to give each work their unique stamp. The workshops were concluded with a one day exhibition on 24 February, displaying the artworks created by the children.

H.E Hoda Al-Khamis Kanoo, ADMAF Founder, commented: "Working with children with special needs is an important element of ADMAF’s activities, as we believe in the right of every individual to artistic expression and the chance to perfect his skills. We seek to enhance access to arts for this key part of society, through workshops organized across the UAE throughout the year. The START workshops are in line with these efforts and mark another major leap forward in our continued commitment and support to working with children with special needs." The START initiative was founded on the basis of the UNICEF "Convention on the Rights of the Child" - an initiative which ADMAF holds very dear to its own core mission and values. Enabling children with special needs to explore their artistic abilities not only builds their self-confidence, and supports their psychological development, but also improves coordination, communication and overall self-esteem. Dedicated to nurturing the arts, education, culture and creativity for the benefit of society, ADMAF is committed to strong educational and community programs that run throughout the year, focused on bringing culture and the arts to the people of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.

START is a non-profit arts programme that has worked with underprivileged children in Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. The program is based on the belief that every child has the right to self-expression, to be heard and acknowledged either orally, through writing, or through artistic expression. The team recruits artists to dedicate their time to work with the children, inspiring and guiding them. START operates in areas of conflict and instability, and with displaced persons, as well as with children with special needs, ensuring all children have the right to communicate through artistic expression, wherever they are.

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