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In 2020 UCL Slade Short Courses established the Hands On/Slade Short Courses Bursary, enabling the Hands On Coach to join the Slade Short Courses programmes in drawing and painting online throughout the academic year. 

Hands On Art Workshops, initiated by Professor Emerita Lisa Milroy, offers a programme of practical art workshops alongside a range of educational initiatives for primary and secondary school students in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, with support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Hands On Art Workshops partners also include Windle International Kenya, Colart, Book Aid International and the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL.

Background

In 2015 artist Lisa Milroy initiated Hands On Art Workshops with support from Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone’s charitable arm and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Hands On Art Workshops offers a programme of practical art workshops for primary and secondary school students in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya delivered through video conference, mobile phone messaging and in person visits. Hands On Art Workshops is facilitated by Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR’s Instant Network Schools programme, which utilises digital video conference technology. Lisa travels to Kakuma Refugee Camp annually to deliver Hands On workshops, working with support from UNHCR. Fellow artist Stephanie Nebbia joined Hands On Art Workshops as Co-director in 2020. Lisa and Stephanie work closely with Joy Maraka, UNHCR Education Assistant based in Kakuma.

Hands On Art Workshops aims to support and encourage creative and imaginative thinking, engagement and exchange globally and inter-generationally between artists and students. All Hands On Art Workshops are devised by artists, and based on an artist’s practice. Through Hands On Art Workshops, students can develop their creative skills through drawing, painting, performance, film, photography, object-making, writing and aspects of functional design.

 

Paintings by Joseph Yona Deng, Hands On Coach, 2022-present

Golda Aruten Okech, Hands On Coach, 2020-2021

Golda Aruten Okech, The Artist, 2021, painting of a woman painting.
The Artist, Golda Aruten Okech, 2021, digital print

Golda Aruten Okech, Hands On Coach in 2021, was invited by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Co-ordinator of the RA Summer Exhibition 2021 to exhibit The Artist, a digital print edition based on Golda’s painting in the RA Summer Exhibition 2021. The edition was produced by Hands On Art Workshops, with proceeds supporting Hands On Art Workshops educational initiatives in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya.

Hands On Workshops educational initiatives

Joseph Yona Deng, Hands On Coach, Kakuma Refugee Camp
Joseph Yona Deng, Hands On Coach, Kakuma Refugee Camp, 2024

©Lisa Milroy

Hands On Art Workshops supports several educational initiatives, including the Hands On Gateway Bursary and the Hands On/Slade Short Courses Bursary.

The Hands On Gateway Bursary provides a one-year salary for a secondary school graduate in Kakuma Refugee Camp to independently lead and support art activities in community learning centres and 10 school Art Clubs across Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement. The first Hands On Coach was Golda Aruten Okech (2020 - 2021). Joseph Yona Deng is the current the Hands On Coach, assisted by Charles Nhial Mayil.

The Hands On/Slade Short Courses Bursary enables the Hands On Coaches and teachers in Kakuma Refugee Camp to join the Slade Short Courses programmes in drawing and painting online throughout the academic year.

Hands On Coach Joseph Yona Deng leads a vibrant programme of art workshops of his own design with guidance and support from Lisa and Stephanie to a weekly cohort of up to 40 participants at Maggie Tent, a community learning centre and in several school Art Clubs in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Joseph has also developed a series of lessons stemming from his own experiences of the Slade Short Courses for delivery to Hands On Art Workshops participants in Kakuma and Kalobeyei Settlement.

Joseph says, “My previous enrolment in the Slade's Short Courses for drawing and painting has helped me develop and explore newer ways of looking into my own practice. Guided with great mentorship from the online mentors and genuine lessons, I have been wielding the knowledge to help me advance my skills and attaining self-accomplishments throughout my practice .I have also adapted the UCL lessons for my students' practice in my regular art workshops here in Kakuma and the outcomes have been so rich and promising. There has been an apparent improvement in learners' skills and levels of confidence attained in their own practice.”

Artwork from Maggie Tent art workshops on "Tone"

A selection of artwork from participants at art workshops led by Joseph Yona Deng, Hands On Coach at Maggie Tent, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, adapted from the Slade Short Courses online sessions on ‘Tone’.

Artwork from Maggie Tent art workshops on "Colour"

A selection of artwork from participants at art workshops led by Joseph Yona Deng, Hands On Coach at Maggie Tent, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, adapted from the Slade Short Courses online sessions on ‘Colour’.

2020 Postcard Project: "Healing"

A set of postcards designed by Joseph Yona Deng, artist and Hands On Coach, and Art Club students from Angelina Jolie Primary School and the Maggie Tent art workshops in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, produced by Hands On Art Workshops for World Refugee Week 2022, responding to the theme of ‘Healing’

  • Group of girls in school uniform standing in a semi-circle holding drawings of portraits.

    Hands On Art Workshops

    – ongoing

    Hands On Art Workshops, initiated by Professor Emerita Lisa Milroy, offers a programme of practical art workshops alongside a range of educational initiatives for primary and secondary school students in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, with support from UNHCR, the UN...