【Qudu Department of Artists 2】Refer to the "Art Department" designed for the mentally handicapped by the university curriculum

HB, 2B, 3B, 4B… The pencil case holds all kinds of pencils, rows of plastic paint are placed by the window, and famous paintings of the 19th century are projected on the white board. A class of students put on aprons and started class. The teacher patiently explained the background of the famous painting, and the students practiced the painting skills of today's class over and over again. This is the view from Room 305 of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Jockey Club Rehabilitation Centre every Monday, Friday and Saturday.

Looking back on the three-year art course for people with disabilities, Bellini, a member of the "Love Different Art" team, said that it was a complete stroke of stone. "In the past, there were a lot of interest classes. They played tricks and painted beads in the dormitory, but it was only a small talk or muscle training. It would not be called art." Most of the students in the interest class are disabled or mentally handicapped. Seriously moved a class of staff: "Hey, I started thinking, can there be a similar art school, so that they can have a fair opportunity to learn art in the same way?"

It was difficult to get started. At first, Bai Ni and her team could not find a reference until they met Professor Luo Shumin from the Department of Visual Studies of Lingnan University. Professor Luo hit it off with everyone, became a consultant for the course, and even co-organized the course together. The course not only follows the timetable of the university, but the content is not sloppy: tertiary students study for three years, and there is no preferential treatment for persons with disabilities; the class has a total of 700 hours, and the content includes "creative practice class" and "art story" (ie art history). The first class was held in 2013. There are two classes for the physically handicapped and the mentally handicapped. Unfortunately, the former is difficult to take regular classes due to their physical condition, so the second class will focus on the mentally handicapped.

After all, people with intellectual disabilities have weak absorptive ability and patience, and there are many difficulties in actual teaching: "The college has to take the exam to get grades, should I help? Should I help?" Bainey said with a puzzled look. "Even I think it's a mess of art history, can you teach them something?" Li Huiyi, a tutor named "Mushroom", couldn't help but wonder. "A person is full of depression and a sleepless night?" The team and the teacher held meetings semester by semester, constantly revising the course content according to the reactions of the classmates, hoping to find the most suitable teaching mode. They don't like to call students "mentally retarded", instead they are "people with different abilities" - as long as they find the key to ditching, the students' ability is often higher than expected.

"I don't think they know each other. There is a classmate, you told him that orange is orange, but he knows what color is orange." Another tutor "Rainbow" (Sheng Hong) said . To this end, Rainbow and Mushrooms try to connect the imagination of art to daily life: for example, when teaching ink painting, they use leaves to make brushes with them; the dull art history turns into a dance experience.

In terms of creation, people with disabilities are generally taught to paint with simple and positive themes, but this course first teaches students to know themselves, including negative emotions in their hearts, and hopes that art will become a language for them to express their feelings. "If the metaphor is a mysterious box, it seems that everyone has a different view when they open it," said "Taxi Sir" (Li Zhenning), who taught them creative skills. To the teacher's surprise, the mentally handicapped did not have the burden of "the sky must be blue" or "not real enough", and they quickly drew their own style.

"Actually, what grades they get and whether they pass or fail are meaningless to them. Their best grades are their own."

Bai Ni does not ask the students to remember the names of each artist. On the contrary, she only hopes that the students can bring creative autonomy into their lives, so that the disabled can have one more development direction in their lives. "Actually, it doesn't matter if you don't know the color, it's all about the name, and the choice is the most important thing." Taxi Sir said with a smile.

"Love Different Art" (i-dArt)

"Love Different Arts" (i-dArt) is an art development team formed by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals after introducing art into rehabilitation services. They use different media and open up the art space, hoping to encourage more people with different abilities to participate in art. They believe that it is the birthright of every human being to appreciate and create art, focusing on the power of the artwork rather than the intellectual or physical abilities of the creator; and that art can unleash and demonstrate the talents of each individual, promote mutual understanding and tolerate. They hold events and exhibitions from time to time, if you are also interested, you may wish to pay attention to their website: http://i-dart.tungwahcsd.org/?lang=ch or Facebook: Love Different Art i-dArt.

Originally published at hk.news.appledaily.com on 9 June, 2017.