New teachers are quick off the block!

Our new Senseis Divya and Janaki were invited to conduct a workshop for kids.  here is the write-up below.

Gurukulam Trust Children School, Kovalam, Chennai invited us to conduct an Ikebana workshop for some of the students. Participants were boys and girls from classes 5 and 7. This was a part of the International School Awards project, a British Council initiative to promote, among other things,  exposure for children to other countries and cultures, preparing them for a life in global society.

We facilitated the one hour session by briefly outlining the basics of Ikebana.  Divya made an arrangement in the basic upright style, using a black oval suiban and local materials like guava branches for main lines  and temple tree flowers as jushis.

 She encouraged the children to experiment with different materials found in the neighborhood.
Her  idea to use clock hand positions to show the various angles of shin, soe and hikae  was very innovative and children were excited to relate to this.

Janaki demonstrated the basic slanting style using a suiban in shades of beige, with a curved surface.  She used sansiveria for the main lines, gypsophilia and red carnations for jushis.

After photo sessions, the focus shifted to a few children trying their hand at recreating the pieces. They were given additional material like umbrella plant, yellow chrysanthemums and monkey tail ferns. They were able to grasp the basics and were fascinated by the kenzan.

They were told to the try alternatives like sand and coconut fibre to secure the plant material.A couple  of boys used the stems and leaves to create their own miniature models.
It was a very interesting experience working with enthusiastic youngsters.
We thank Mrs. Malathi Pandurang for giving us this opportunity.

The group with the senseis

The Basic Upright and Basic Slanting style were demonstrated to the children, with local greens.