philosoph'art
58, avenue LACASSAGNE
Lyon
France
- Youth and education
Since 2007, the organization has set up a new kind of workshops: Philosoph’Art. This project was experimented abroad in local schools in Port-Saïd, Egypt, in Nha Trang, Vietnam, in Port-au-prince, Haïti and in Lyon, France.
The interest in Philosophy for Children (P4C) naturally leads to consider the legal corpus related to children’s rights and in particular to each child’s right to develop personal opinions and to be assisted by his or her school in this process.
The aim of Philosoph'art organization is to conduct philosophical and artistic workshops for children, from 6 to 14 years old.
The workshops are created on the basis of a two-hour session:
“Philosophical” first hour:
A. Explanation of the theme and discussion to stimulate the imagination. This first hour launches the debate, as it were. It could be accompanied by a brief presentation of few works (shortstories, a historical presentation, tales, photos or other visual approaches).
B. WHAT THEMES?
Philosophical themes are approached in two main forms, with the aim to stimulate an exchange: either a notional approach or making questions and distinctions.
a) Using a notion. The discussion starts from the research of a definition. It is therefore interesting to work with the conceptual distinctions because they enable a better delimitation of the notion through differentiation and opposition.
b) Using a question (i.e. “What is liberty?”). The wording of the question is essential as the debate and questions will lead the discussion to different directions.
“Artistic” second hour:
It proposes an artistic approach out of the school system: working on emotions, feelings and the self, forgetting the compulsory link to a production that will be graded, evaluated, assessed, and insisting on the artistic creation for its own sake, without other need than itself.
The approach through the senses allows to distinguish itself from the rational approach only gradually, as the child learns to better differentiate an emotion, an impression, a feeling.
As s/he gradually controls his/her gestures, body, voice, the choice of materials and some technical rudiments, the child discovers within him/herself new possibilities of observation, expression, imagination. S/he is getting familiar with works that s/he is given to discover in different contexts. S/he perceives various aspects and distinguishes some particularities. Spontaneous traces, prints, marks and drawings are the testimony of the emerging of the symbolical function.
PHILOSOPH’ART IN ACTION:
PHILOSOPH’ART WORKSHOPS IN FRANCE:
- Workshops conducted in Lyon and Villeurbanne (schools, social centers)
- Partnerships: Institute of Contemporary Art of Villeurbanne, Maison du Livre, de l'Image et du son de Villeurbanne, Ka'fête ô Mômes, Artichoux à Lyon, School Montessori, College Clemenceau, etc.
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPS:
- Project "Philosoph'art in Haïti ?", written in 2009 and started in October 2010 to June 2012, supported by Region Rhône-Alpes and Fondation de France.
RESEARCH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
1. Institute of Science and Practice of Education and Training (ISPEF), University Lyon 2: which studies the effects of new teaching methods such as Philosophy For Children and Arts at school: seminars and provision of Master students and PhD students to do their practical research in our workshops.
2. Psychology Research Center, University Lyon 2 (RECREAHVI)
"Many children live through very difficult situations from the moment of their birth – children experience famine, slavery, child labour, incest, prostitution, maltreatment, bombings, the loss of loved ones and more. Even in developed countries, in peacetime and among families that are comfortably off. (...)In addition, all children question the nature of death from around the age of three. Psychologists can help children cope with these issues by encouraging them to put their experiences of suffering into cathartic words, but children can also learn to think through such questions themselves, to approach existential questions through philosophical reasoning – allowing them to take a step back from their emotions and turn difficult situations into subjects for serious thought."
Philosoph’art has thus established a partnership with a laboratory (RECREAHVI) that conducts research on resilience and creative processes in Haitian children affected by natural disasters (seminars, conferences, psychological investigations on Philosoph’art workshops in Haïti)
3. Philolab: a French organization which promotes the development of teaching and practice of philosophy. Philolab is working with the Philosophy section of the area of Humanities and Social Sciences of UNESCO :
" The impact of philosophy on children may not be immediately appreciated, but its impact on the adults of tomorrow could be so considerable that it would certainly make us wonder why philosophy has until now been marginalized or refused to children." UNESCO
Philosoph’art will attend the World Symposium Of Philosophy, at UNESCO in Paris, in November, on the question of the relationship between Philosophy and Care.
Through our project in West Bank, publications and intercultural activities. Through our workshops that create a methodology of citizenship through Philosophy With Children practices.
We are sure that Philosophy for Children and arts are a way of raising dialogue and tolerance between people.
We are implemented a project in West Bank based on an intercultural exchange that could contribute to citizenship and cross-intercultural activities in the Mediterranean area.