Newcomers
Currently, every sixth resident of Iceland is a migrant, born and brought up in a foreign culture and language. For a newcomer who arrives to an isolated and small country at the very edge of the Arctic, it can take a couple of years before they will adapt to the new circumstances, and even longer to learn the local language. Fluency in Icelandic, a basic element of the national identity of the Icelanders, is often regarded as a key to Icelandic society. When one is busy building a new life from scratch, making ends meet while working in a physically demanding and not always well paid job, art classes might seem like a luxury. Michelle Bird, a visual artist and art teacher says:
“The immigrants are marginalised and vulnerable because of their social and economic situation. They don’t have time to explore anything outside of working very hard to maintain a basic lifestyle. Because of this, they are left out of everything else.”
Michelle strongly believes that it’s much harder to reach out to immigrants with an art offer. That is why in her art studio in Borgarfjörður, a small town north of Reykjavík, Michelle hosts exploratory painting workshops for artists, adults and children of all backgrounds and languages. Michelle speaks English, Dutch, Icelandic, German and Italian and has international experience in education. That helps her to connect instantly with minority groups and foreign-born individuals in her community.
In her teaching practice, Michelle focuses on evoking senses and creating a playful and effortless atmosphere. One of the exercises that Michelle incorporated in her workshops is blind painting with sound and movement.
“Create a space, a tactile, sensory environment that enables people to really connect in a very profound way with their artistic selves. Environment is everything. It’s not that I want to teach them an artistic method, but a method of connecting. What conditions are the best for art?”
Michelle believes that the biggest support for Urban Arts Education in her area would be a community centre, a public space where artists could reach out to larger and more diverse groups.
“Not everyone feels comfortable visiting a private residency. An established community centre where everyone can gather, can bring their skills and talents and create together, would change the way we could continue.”
URB_ART spoke to Michelle Bird (www.michellebird.com) an eclectic artist and liberating art experiences facilitator. For decades, she has taught creative team building workshops around the world to companies, middle schools, high schools and colleges, associations, clubs, and yoga retreats. From her art studio she hosts exploratory painting workshops for artists, adults and children.
Read More Urban Art Education Stories
