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Project 'ALICE'Adult Learning and Inclusive Creativity-Methods Encouraging the Potential of People by Using Toys and Play

27-10-2008
Press-information

Toys for All - for Children with and without Disabilities
15th UNESCO Creativity workshop in Italy

The Berlin, Germany based non-profit association “Toys for Children’s Rehabilitation” and “Fondazione Paideia”, Turin, Italy, worked together to bring the 15th UNESCO Creativity workshop under the title “Toys – Design – Disability”. The workshop opened on 15-10-2008 with a Symposium open to the public where international experts talked about different aspects of this theme. Then the 20 workshop participants visited various places and institutes where children with disabilities live - not only to see the disablities, but mainly to discover the abilities and the fun children have with toys and objects. After their observations, the participants developed new toy concepts for these children. The new designs were presented to the public on 27-10-2008. The exhibition was shown in the center of Turin until 31-10-2008 (ERSEL exhibition hall). After that, the most innovative new toy designs will be duplicated, tested in both Italy and in Germany, and published in a book with how-to-create drawings for anyone to construct.

The Creativity workshop was a central activity of the “World Design Capital – Turin 2008”. This workshop underlined the complex importance of Design in our environment and its function in social life. The Creativity workshop had the joint patronage of the German and Italian National Commissions for UNESCO, which find these workshops particularly important for developing ideas under their mandates of: education, sciences, culture, and communication.

The organizers had 122 applications from candidates all over the world wishing to take part at the workshop. 20 participants from 17 countries were chosen: designers, toy-makers, therapists, educators, and artists. Every participant designed new toys and produced prototypes. During this time, international and interdisciplinary exchange was promoted. In the final exhibition, 32 newly developed toys were presented. All toys will motivate and encourage their users to play with them, and - because they will work and ‘function’ for children with disabilities - they will be interesting for all children where such high physical and mental demands in using toys will not be necessary.

One of UNESCO’s top priorities is Quality Education for All. UNESCO leads the global Education for All movement, aiming to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015. The next European year, 2009, has the theme “Creativity and Innovation”, and 2010 will be the “European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion”. For many years, these Creativity workshops have made an important contribution to achieve the objectives of these mandates. Future workshops are planned. Unfortunately the financial basis for it is not very clear.

Siegfried Zoels .......................................................................................................................................................Fabrizio Serra

Managing director .............................................................................................................................................Managing director

 

Foerdern durch Spielmittel e.V..................................................................................................................Fondazione Paideia onlus

(Toys for Children’s Rehabilitation)......................................................................................................................Via San Francesco

D-10405 Berlin, Germany ...................................................................................................................d’Assisi, 44..I-10121 Torino

zoels@spielmittel.de..................................................................................................................................info@fondazionepaideia.it

 

Creativity workshops Chronology 1980-2008

Creativity workshops participants 1990-2008

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