Design Challenge
#2: How might we encourage our community to support one another and look out for those who are socially isolated?
Project Description
To create a sustainable circular empowerment programme, starting with the seniors in our country.
This initiative encourages seniors to take on a more active lifestyle through either forming their own painting “kakis” as a new hobby or organising their own informal painting sessions in the community.
We have been conducting ongoing sessions at Artify Studio since July 2019. However, we have had to put the project on hold due to the COVID-19 situation.
During the circuit breaker, we tried moving our sessions to WhatsApp video call chat in a bid to continue engaging our seniors and to create meaningful connections especially during this time.
You can visit our website and Instagram for more information on www.artribe.org
IG: @artribesg
Criteria #1: Value
Target Audience: Senior Citizen
Due to their daily routines, senior citizens require need to stay connected to a community in order to remain active physically and mentally—they are more motivated to take part in an activity is someone else is doing it with them. Hence, we intend to solve this problem at times where physical interaction has to be refrained, in the most accessible way.
Criteria #2: Inspiration
With Wifi: A WhatsApp video call session, to demo art technique and a paint a long session with the seniors
Without Wifi: Prepared an art package with instructional guide and using telephone call to communicate with our seniors
providing a means of employment for artists during crisis period
lessen the burden on social workers (they can be a source of guidance in this project—on how we interact with the seniors)
Criteria #3: Impact
- Establishing a long-term connection (genuine friendship build between artists and seniors)
- Cultivate lifelong and independent learning
- Learning a new skill/taking up a new hobby/pursuing their interest in hopes to build a self-sustaining art community, we encourage our seniors to pass on their knowledge to others around them
Criteria #4: Timeliness
Week 1: Contact VWO touch community, Senior activity centre.
Week 2 & 3: Create open call to gather artists/designer/volunteers (translators)
Week 4 & 5: Create Art Pack and instructional guide with artists/designer /volunteers
Week 6 & 7: Do a trial session with Volunteers & refine teaching style and instructional guide.
Week 8: Pack art package and delivery it to the seniors or care takers
Criteria #5: Systems Thinking
With a majority of society utilising technology to continue working and stay connected, this project aligns itself with the current systems while including the seniors in our community.
As we aim to reach out to as many seniors as we can, we are choosing to use a form of technology that is familiar to them — the house phone/mobile phone.
This provides a additional form of support to VWOs/senior-volunteering organisations that reach out to seniors. It also for artists to share their skills and knowledge and to empower others.