Featured Programme-Atelier

FEATURED PROGRAMME:
The Atelier Story

The Holistic Music School 's Atelier was started by Dr. Patricia Dardaine-Ragguet in 1997 as a means by which to engage young children, aged 4-10, in positive, holistic and character-building exercises in the context of creativity and artistic development. Specifically, it is a school of music which also conducts a series of mobile arts workshops. The music school calendar is in tandem with the academic school calendar, while the workshops accommodate children during their school vacation periods. Each workshop is between one and two weeks long, and focuses exclusively on developing the skills level of the children to all aspects of the visual and performing arts. The workshops also are structured in such a way as to allow teenaged boys and girls from the community in which the workshop takes place to work as apprentices. In effect, they act as mentors for the younger children, thereby developing their skills as adults and artists in their own right.

Atelier has expanded from a one-teacher event to a workshop consortium of three teachers and nine apprentices. Since its inception in 1997, it has grown from a pilot project developed for the students of a private primary school to a national arts programme. It also boasts of hosting prominent artists in different fields of artistic activity to teach the children, thereby enforcing positive role models in the arts. The workshop includes scholarships for economically challenged children, and has been able to sponsor children from orphanages and special homes.

With support from the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago and the Cultural Development Program – IDB Cultural Center – Inter-American Development Bank, Atelier expanded its holistic learning programme to young people (5 to 20 years) in Tobago to send a message of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention through the project “ My story, Your story, Life stories .” Three workshops were completed in the Black Rock, Mason Hall and Delaford community centres (multi-purpose facilities) in Tobago during July 2004. Students from surrounding villages were also invited to participate.

Overall, the project was very successful. Programme evaluators indicated that the expressive channels of the arts effectively delivered important messages to the young people of the island about the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Evaluators also noted the value associated with selecting and training young counsellors (mainly teenagers) to facilitate peer education. Students, parents, teachers and community leaders in Tobago continue to enquire about the possibility of “ My story, Your story, Life stories ” in 2005.

Atelier commemorates World AIDS Day with Circles DVD

The Holistic Music School 's Atelier Arts Workshop commemorated World AIDS Day (1 December 2004) with a DVD featuring a television adaptation of the play “Circles” written by Sonja Dumas and adapted by Nadella Benjamin.

In an attempt to raise national awareness about HIV/AIDS and reduce levels of stigma and discrimination nationally, the Holistic Music School , in collaboration with the United States Embassy and the Cultural Development Program of the Inter-American Development Bank, has produced this strong dramatic piece. The television adaptation boasts a cast of seventeen young local actors between the ages of 6 and 15 years and three musicians.

“Circles” plays an integral role in the My Story, Your Story, Life Stories project that was launched in Tobago in July under the umbrella theme of Developing Healthy Communities. This project is designed to encourage young people to devise innovative messages on HIV/AIDS for other young people using the visual and performing arts.

Atelier (the French word for workshop) was started by Dr. Patricia Dardaine-Ragguet in 1997 as a means by which to engage young children aged 5 -10, in positive, holistic and character building exercises in the context of creativity and artistic development. Project evaluator, Gerard Kalloo states that “Atelier is to be commended for this intervention so sorely needed in Tobago . Students are now more aware of HIV/AIDS and healthy living. Workshops demonstrated the use of art, drama, music, journal writing and storytelling in the concept that learning can be fun.”

The Holistic Music School provided the DVD free of charge to all local television stations for broadcast during a three month period that began on World AIDS Day, 2004.

Contact:
Dr. Patricia Dardaine-Ragguet
347 B David Ben Gurion Avenue
Petit Valley
Tel: 1 (868) 633 9624
Email: drpat@tstt.net.tt

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