International Children’s Day at Mith Samlanh with Singapore School of the Arts

In celebration of International Children’s Day on June 1st 2012, a team of young Singapore School of the Arts (SOTA) students and staff have spent over a week with Mith Samlanh students working on a fabulous multi-media arts project involving murals, painting and video. The atmosphere at Club Friends, the cultural heart of the Mith Samlanh center, has been absolutely electric during this time, with painting and filming going on at the same time as rehearsals for the big show that the Mith Samlanh students will perform on Children’s Day.

The Club Friends building is the cultural heart of Mith Samlanh, a place where the students freedom to express themselves is channeled through many different arts and sports. With the support of the SOTA team the Mith Samlanh students have created a mural about the center, and how much it means to them as a place of education, training, and above all fun as they make the journey back from the margins of society to become young people who have a place in the world and the skills to survive there. The centerpiece is a representation of the giant tree in the main courtyard of the center, providing shade and shelter and symbolizing the solid roots needed to nurture and grow. The video team have also recorded the students hopes and dreams, and a huge banner with handprints from students and staff celebrating Children’s Day emphasizes the importance of the message found under the logo of Friends-International – ‘Together, Building futures’.

Congratulations to all involved in this amazing project, with special thanks to the SOTA team, and to them and the children of the world, Friends-International wishes you all a very ‘Happy International Children’s Day!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwhmPznLIy0[/youtube]
This video was put together over the duration of the mural project, with shots taken every two minutes blended into the amazing footage.