Translation from VLT news paper article in Swedish
Västerås children in unique pilot project
Maria Björkman 8 February 2024
Time for dancing!
Photo: Maria Björkman
Artist Robert Ferm and dance and movement therapist Jessica Heuvels have developed a dance and art workshop for pre-school children. Children at Skallbergsskolan are the first in Västerås and the country to try it.
‘They have been lyrical’, says teacher Lena Norrthon.
VÄSTERÅS.
It is early morning at Skallbergsskolan. In one of the rooms, artist Robert Ferm has already set up his dancing sculptures in gold. Dance and movement therapist Jessica Heuvels is laying out white mats on the floor, one seat for each child taking part. The lights are dimmed and peaceful music streams from the speakers. The children are hanging on the lock outside, already excited!
One of the children complains a little: ‘We've been waiting for two hours now!’
On this day, three groups of 10-11 pre-school children will take part in a dance and art workshop created by Robert Ferm and Jessica Heuvels.
‘The hope is that we will be able to convey that dance is exciting, that artistic creation is exciting and that you can combine dance and artistic creation. As an artist, it's exciting to unconditionally find a new target group and sow seeds in the children that may lead them to dedicate themselves to artists' activities and dance. Because there is so much focus on screens otherwise’, says Robert Ferm.
‘When you start school, you have to fit into this rather square school structure, and then the natural joy of creation can be dimmed. I hope that children discover the joy of being creative and making things’, says Jessica Heuvels.
Artist Robert Ferm and dance and movement therapist Jessica Heuvels. Photo: Maria Björkman
Robert Ferm got the idea for the workshop after seeing the ballet Giselle in Stockholm.
‘I thought it was an exciting story!’
When he had his gallery in the Gallerian mall in Västerås, children and young people spontaneously started dancing and moving when they saw his sculptures.
‘When families with children passed by outside, the children often ran away from their parents into the gallery and started dancing spontaneously. They didn't care at all that there were other people around.’
Why did the pilot project end up at Skallbergsskolan?
‘My two children, who are adults now, went there 20 years ago. I live and have my studio nearby. I contacted the headmaster who thought it sounded exciting. When I arrived at the school, it turned out that two of the teachers had had my children. It was a very funny coincidence. We also got a good response from parents for the opportunity to take photos’, says Robert Ferm.
The children are inspired to dance by the movements of the sculptures. Photo: Maria Björkman
The workshop begins with Robert Ferm telling a story that he has written and illustrated. The children sit quietly on their mats. The story is about kings, princesses, dragons, trolls, various animals and, of course, Giselle, who loves to dance and works at the Golden Pig restaurant. In the kitchen at work she is helped by little trolls and she is the only one who can hear what they say.
A break is taken in the story and the children are given little masks that look like trolls, which they have to attach to the sculptures. Dance music is played and everyone starts jumping, bouncing and laughing.
‘Now I'm a bit warm, are you warm?’, says Jessica.
‘NO!’, the children reply.
The one hour continues in the same way, with a story, different masks and dancing.
Safia Abdulwahid puts a mask on a gold sculpture. Photo: Maria Björkman
When it's over, the children protest and want to continue:
‘See you tomorrow!’, says Jessica comfortingly.
On day two, it's time to create their own art inspired by the story and the sculptures. In the craft room, Robert has put the various sculptures back on display and the masks from yesterday are on the table. Now the children will create their own masks using paper, glue, coloured pencils and sequins.
‘I want to make a troll!’
‘I like the cat!’
‘I need a pink pencil!’
‘Can I have an eraser?’
‘I need a pair of scissors!’
Robert Ferm and Jessica Heuvels assist the children with scissors, glue and paper. Photo: Maria Björkman
Robert and Jessica run around the table and assist the children with what they need. Teachers Michaela Eriksson and Lena Norrthon also help out.
When the workshop is over, I ask the children what has been the most fun during the two days.
‘Dancing and storytelling. Everything!’, says Dana Aldewi.
‘I thought everything was fun’, says Hjalmar Jonsson.
‘I think dancing was the most fun’, says Yanet Russom.
‘Doing crafts’, says Irma Stenhag.
‘Dancing’, says Jayson Oipa.
‘Everything!’, says Laura Hamid.
‘Everything was fun’, says Anja Kustera.
Teacher Lena Norrthon confirms that the children have had fun.
‘They have been lyrical. After the first day they talked a lot about it. And I think it's been great fun to see them interacting with other adults.’
Robert Ferm thinks the workshop went better than he expected.
‘Because it's hard to have expectations of something that is completely new. It could have been the flop of the world. A lot depends on the dynamics of the children's group too, and we had the privilege of having three completely different groups of children, so we really had to test and adapt it to different conditions.’
‘In my experience, things never turn out the way you expect, but on the whole it turned out the way we expected,’ says Jessica Heuvels.
What have you learnt and what will you do differently in the future?
‘A lot of things. For example, we had all the masks and spare sculptures visible in a corner of the room, and when the children saw them they immediately wanted to pick them all up. One boy started dancing around with a sculpture freely in his arms. This made the other children want their own sculpture to hug and dance with, so they each tried to break off their own sculpture from the foundations’, says Robert, laughing and continuing:
‘Another thing is that we had made masks that looked like emojis. One of them had little hearts for eyes, and then some of the girls started fighting over who should have it. I'll probably do a set with just heart emojis next time.’
‘We did some things differently already at the second group that day. We realised that when it came to the story, it went too slowly. So the second time Robert stood and narrated freely following images from the projector. We also removed a dance that we thought was too much’, says Jessica Heuvels.
The children are happy after the workshop. From left on the sofa: Hjalmar Jonsson, Anja Kustera, Eliana Weldekiros, Laura Hamid, Dana Aldewi, Yanet Russom, Jayson Opia and Irma Stenhag. On the floor from left: August Hammarroth and Sara Karmo. Missing from the picture is Safia Abdulwahid. Photo: Maria Björkman
They will now produce materials for the workshop, such as a storybook and drawing books. The hope is to go round to more pre-school classes.
‘It all depends on demand because this is a different concept. What is offered to children in schools today from external organisations is mostly one activity at a time, for example - just dance, just story-telling, just creative artistic activities, while we have a combination of everything’, says Robert Ferm.
Artist Robert Ferm and dance and movement therapist Jessica Heuvels.
The children are inspired to dance by the movements of the sculptures.
Safia Abdulwahid puts a mask on a gold sculpture.
Robert Ferm and Jessica Heuvels assist the children with scissors, glue and paper.
The children are happy after the workshop. From left on the sofa: Hjalmar Jonsson, Anja Kustera, Eliana Weldekiros, Laura Hamid, Dana Aldewi, Yanet Russom, Jayson Opia and Irma Stenhag. On the floor from left: August Hammarroth and Sara Karmo. Missing from the picture is Safia Abdulwahid.