ON YOUR MARKS !’

Drawing Aesop's fables

WHAT
A number of short drawing workshops for adult learners. During these workshops, they learned to draw on a wall and at several cases as a team.
They used various painting accessories (acrylic/plastic enamel/paints), and empty plastic bottles in order to paint on Aesop’s fables, to learn them and leave their own “mark” on them.

WHERE
School yard of Lecheon High School

WHEN
May 2010

WHO
FACILITATORS:
Maria Karakatsani, Eirini Sofianou, Kalliopi Kechrologou, Evangellos Kapinias, Hraklis Anagnostopoulos, staff members and facilitaros of the Second Chance School Assos - Lecheon
LEARNERS:
About 20 inhabitants of the wider area and friends of the students - men and women aged between 20 – 55 years, with no prior experience of drawing

WHY
To put the local community in contact with the Second Chance School and with Aesop's fables. The wall murals were used as a canvas.
We also wanted to paint these pictures as a gift to the high school children, as we share the school building with them.  

HOW
The adult learners and the local people, aided by the facilitators, prepared the mural. They cleaned the surrounding area, whitewashed the wall and then made a blueprint, so,
that the canvas may be set. The staff members explained the myths to all the participants. Next, they helped the participants to leave their “mark” on the already prepared wall murals.
The participants painted on the canvas of the myths. 

VALUE FOR LEARNERS
All participants, after overcoming their initial misgivings (they didn't want to get dirty, they felt too old to paint etc), responded in a very positive manner.
They liked the originality and freshness of this project and they were glad to see that they were not excluded from learning. 

VALUE FOR FACILITATORS

We realized that, even though this was quite an ambitious venture, the difficulties we faced were less than what we expected. The attitude of all the participants was very positive.
 Initially, we aimed at drawing three fables. However, only two were actually drawn. In spite of this, we experienced the joy of participating in such a process and we realized
that participating in every stage of each painting was more important (than hurrying up in order to achieve the goals set in the beginning).
The enthusiasm and the high spirits of all participants were a pleasant surprise. Our greatest difficulty was coping with the heat.

The two myths – fables

The north wind and the sun

The north wind and the sun were having a dispute about which of them was the stronger Eventually they agreed to proclaim victor whichever of them could strip the clothes off a man
who was walking along the road. The north wind tried first. It blew with great force but failed. Then it blew up a gale, but the man only felt cold and donned a cloak. Then, the sun tried.
The sun put out fierce rays until the man unable to endure the heat, tore off his clothes and plunged into a nearby river.

Persuasion is often more effective than force.

The two cocks and the eagle

Two cocks were fighting over some hens. The cock that won perched on a high wall and began to crow loudly. Suddenly an eagle swooped down on the bird and grabbed it. From then on,
the other cock was able to court the hens without fear.

            Arrogance finds no favour with the gods, humility is rewarded.