Cooperation project with Poland, Herøy

"Storslagent maleverksted for vennskap og fred" skriver Herøyfjerdingen om det polske besøket.

Forventningene var store da våre polske gjester ankom Brasøy onsdag morgen. Med på ferja var også 9. klasse fra Herøy skole, lærere og hjelpere fra Frivillighetssentralen. Sentralt på programmet stod maleverksted i Peacepainting-regi. Og værgudene var med oss denne dagen og skapte en uforglemmelig ramme rundt arrangementet. Innledningsvis redegjorde Catrine Gangstø og undertegnede for hva som skulle foregå denne dagen, og tematikken ble fremhevet og omtalt. En inspirasjonsstund om hvorfor vi var samlet og viktigheten av vennskap og kulturutveksling på tvers av landegrenser. Handlinger som i seg selv er fredsskapende. Gikk knirkefritt Ungdomshuset "Bølgen" var for anledningen skrella for møbler og unødvendig inventar for å frigjøre maleplass til de 57 ungdommene. Det hele foregikk i stor ro. Engasjementet og malegleden var stor, og makan til konsentrasjon om oppgaven har vi vel aldri opplevd! Så mange ungdommer samla på ett brett, og alt gikk knirkefritt. Både maleøkta og påfølgende tekstarbeid. For disse maleriene skal på utstilling ulike steder i Norge, Polen og andre land. Og det enkelte maleri følges da av en brikke med navn, tittel, tekst og portrettfoto. Bjørn Økern hadde laga nummererte skjema som ble utdelt for det skriftlige arbeidet, og Sylwia Komajda-Sikora gjennomførte portrett fotografering av samtlige unge med dette nummeret synlig i bildet. Dermed kunne de 57 kunstnerne kobles sammen med rett navn, tittel, tekst – og bilde.

De voksne polske ledsagerne styrt av den kraftfulle reiselederen og primus motor for dette prosjektet, Izabella Krzywkowska, var hele tiden til stede og hadde sine oppgaver. Aldona Wawrzyniak, polsk opprinnelse og bosatt på Terråk, tolket oss gjennom hele dagen. En kraftanstrengelse - da hun helst skulle være alle steder samtidig. Catrine Gangstø var som alltid til stede for de unge, og kunne hjelpe og inspirere der det var ønske og behov. Jelena Budesa organiserte kjøkkentjenesten, og hadde med seg sine hjelpere knytta til Frivillighetssentralen på Herøy. De sørget for varm lunsj til alle; tomatsuppe med egg, reven ost og nystekt varmt brød fra Brasøy Handel. Det ble også tid til en topptur til Svartåsen og den nye dreibare gapahuken der. En opplevelse polakkene virkelig satte pris på. De lovpriste naturen og utsikten, og samla med seg steiner, skjell, lyng, villsaull og andre skatter som vi har så rikelig av. Det ble produsert mye fin og tankevekkende kunst denne dagen. Mange lot seg inspirere av naturen og fargene. Og store flater ble dekket av alle de blå nyansene vi kan oppleve her ute i øyan. Gjennom motivene kom det tydelig frem at ungdommen virkelig er opptatt av fred, vennskap og rettferdighet. Kommunen spanderte pizza Etter at Brasøydagen var over, dro alle 90 deltakerne tilbake med ferja til Herøy og tilbragte kvelden på Herøy Brygge, hvor kommunen spanderte Pizzabuffet på samtlige. Vertsfamilier, ordfører og varaordfører, rektor, lærere, frivillighet, peacepaintere og våre polske gjester, unge og eldre, hadde her en flott kveld sammen. Pizzaen og serveringa på Herøy Brygge var helt topp, og markerte en fin avslutning på et givende og spennende besøk av våre venner fra Polen. Om Peacepainting Peacepainting er et internasjonalt kunst og- og fredsprosjekt for barn og ungdom. Det er et stille og rolig arbeid som blir synlig for verden gjennom utstillinger. Barn og unge som deltar på verkstedene, blir inspirerte til å delta i holdningsskapende arbeid i det lille som i det store - fred og likeverd mellom folk og nasjoner. Arbeidet har sin forankring på Helgeland, og er spesielt knyttet til Bindal og Herøy. Bakgrunnen for besøket i Herøy kommune er et samarbeidsprosjekt mellom biblioteket i den polske byen Proszowice og stiftelsen Peacepainting. Prosjektet har mottatt 1,1 millioner i EØS-midler og dette er det femte besøket mellom Polen og Helgeland. Catrine Gangstø fra Bindal er daglig leder og Tone Toft på Brasøy er styremedlem og kunstnerisk ansvarlig i stiftelsen.

Les mer om Peacepainting på hjemmesida vår: www.peacepainting.org

Stor takk til alle som hjalp oss! Tone Toft Brasøy

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Dolna Banya and Sofia

A project has been launched in collaboration with an orphanage for Roma children and a foundation in Bulgaria called "Avocado". A fund will be created for higher education for the children. After the age of 18, they are no longer under the protection of the government in the country and they have to move from the orphanage. Most people end up in misery with begging, stealing, drugs and prostitution. What may be of security and self-confidence after the years in the orphanage, gradually gets little or no nourishment…

The aim of the fund is to make it available for an education in art - not only painting but also music and other art studies. Finding a way in life through art is in accordance with understanding. Because it gives us contact with the emotions, and true understanding depends on this contact. The mechanisms in the brain appear to be designed this way. Art will then be a good tool for being able to take advantage of the possibilities of a holistic life where self-care and empathy are equal, or put another way: two sides of the same coin. Artists from Nordland took part in the first event. Espen Tversland from Brønnøysund, Anne-Britt Ravnå from Mosjøen, Lill-Anita O. Svendsen from Leknes, Bård Vatnan from Korgen, Randi Størseth from Trondheim, in addition to Catrine Gangstø and two children from Bindal - a total of 8 pieces.

This was financed through EEA funds and administered by the "Avocado" foundation. It is relatively new and run by young people who are employed in the gas industry, but who feel a nagging uneasiness about the ever-increasing difference in living standards for different groups. This is a trend we have noticed in many countries - more and more young people want to work in companies that take a significant social responsibility, or they have the drive to start their own businesses in addition to the well-paid job, as is the example with « Avocado »

We had an unforgettable week in Dolna Banya with real, original and not least unexpected ingredients where lots of humor and lots of seriousness took place! We are very pleased that Peacepainting was able to help trigger public funding for this very interesting initiative.

We wish "Avocado" good luck!



Peacepainting held workshops for Romani children in Bulgaria in cooperation with the non-profit foundation AVOCADO. The foundation AVOCADO is a non-profit NGO based in Sofia, Bulgaria and aims to develop society by enhancing local communities.

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The project "Inclusion of vulnerable groups through the integration of young people in the arts" was implemented with financial support from the EU program for NGO BULGARIA, and was realized on the 24th -29th of March 2015. More information about the program can be found here: www.eeagrants.org and www.ngogrants.bg

Upon completion of the project, where 8 guests from Norway and 8 representatives from Bulgaria participated, a painting workshop was conducted with children from the orphanage "Home for Children Without Parents K. Liapcheva" in Dolna Banya.

The project was aimed to provide awareness of social problems and offer development opportunities for youth. Vulnerable children were also given the opportunity to develop their potential and gain new horizons for development through the integration of art.

Collaborations in 2015

Peacepainting vil våren 2015 delta i flere samarbeidsprosjekter. I mars reiser Catrine Gangstø sammen med fire kunstnere og en filmarbeider til Bulgaria for å holde maleverksted i et barnehjem for rombarn.

I mars skal det være maleverksted i Mosjøen. Her skal barn og eldre male sammen, som en aktivitet i "Den kulturelle spaserstokken".

I april reiser Catrine Gangstø, en kunstner og en filmarbeider til Filippinene. Der skal Peacepainting i samarbeid med Brobyggerstiftelsen i Sandnessjøen besøke et senter for gatebarn. Det blir besøk i Tacloban og i Manila. Det blir møte med PNBC - Philippines Norway Business Council, og med lokale myndigheter og den norske ambassaden.

I begynnelsen av juni blir det gjenvisitt fra Polen. Om lag 50 ungdommer fra skoler i området rundt Krakow i sørlige Polen besøker Hattfjelldal og Herøy på Helgeland. Tidligere har ungdom fra Bindal besøkt Proszowice to ganger, og ungdom derfra har vært i Bindal.

I juli blir det ny tur til Bulgaria, denne gangen til hovedstaden Sofia, der organisasjonen SPOC driver prosjekter som skal fremme toleranse og respekt.

Collaboration with SPOC in Bulgaria

In November 2014, three representatives from the association SPOC in Bulgaria were in Bindal, Norway to plan a collaboration with Peacepainting. Peacepainting is invited to arrange a painting workshop in Bulgaria in the summer of 2015. SPOC has received grants from the EU and ESF (European Social Fund, separate program under the Council of Europe) to run projects in schools and to the media to promote tolerance and respect. They must fight racism and xenophobia. Bulgaria has received many refugees in recent years, and has many immigrants.

Read more about SPOC and the project here.

On the photo: Catrine Gangstø, Emilia Zgurova, Yuri Katsarov (Ph.D.) and Project Manager Albena Dimitrova.

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Peacepainting Exhibition at Bodø Airport

Avinor wrote the following in a press release in July 2013:

On Wednesday 17 July Bodø airport’s Peacepainting exhibition begins. The exhibition consists of 6 pictures from different nations and is found by Narvesen in the departure hall. The pictures can be seen by children and adults until next summer.

Peacepainting is an independent organisation with its origins in Bindal. The organisation arranges painting workshops for children and youth – such that they can express their thoughts about peace and friendship through a language without speech.

The painting workshops are held both nationally and internationally. Each participant comes forward with their own title and possibly some text about the picture. The message is imparted using a text sign which follows the picture at exhibitions. The most important thing is what the child wishes to impart and the aim is that children’s feelings shall be taken seriously.

- “When we concentrate on listening to and seeing what the children impart, it is certainly easier to remember how it is to be little. It is also easier to make decisions that promote life and variety – both when it applies to near and far relations,” says Catrine Gangstø in Peacepainting.

The pictures are exhibited both nationally and internationally. Today you can see Peacepainting exhibitions in the following Avinor airports:

· Kirkenes airport, Høybuktmoen · Brønnøysund airport, Brønnøy · Bodø airport.

After this, exhibitions have also arrived at these locations: Mosjøen, Namsos, Rørvik, Mo i Rana, Sandnessjøen and at the helicopter terminal in Brønnøysund.

Renewed support from Nordland County Municipality

Press release from Nordland County Municipality: Nordland County Municipality has granted 300,000 kroner to the foundation Peacepainting in Bindal for further development of their international commitment within art and peacekeeping for children and youth. County executive for industry, Arve Knutsen, says that a considerable amount of work has been done with the development of Peacepainting, and this stands as a unique idea with a global perspective.

Catrine Gangstø is managing director of the foundation. She had the idea that painting can be used as therapy for children and youth. Contact has been established with a number of countries. As part of the business model, pictures are presented that the children have made, via exhibitions in public places.

The county executive says that so far the work has shown that applicants have received a response which can be grounds for them to take it a step further. This can be a basis to establish and develop a physical centre for the work which can offer courses and accommodation.

- “The gain for Bindal lies in that a whole new business is established in the municipality with some competence-based internationally-looking workplaces. A competence-based business in Bindal can in this area also obtain a grant from internationally-looking programmes,” says Arve Knutsen.

Peacepainting is introduced as a means and concept for relief work of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Red Cross and United Nations in terms of international assignments which demand psychosocial efforts.

“The foundation will use the funds to work to secure permanent operation of the organisation, such that it can continue to work with different projects,” says Catrine Gangstø.

Peacepainting Exhibition in Rouen Cathedral, France

The leadership in the cathedral in Rouen wished for a Peacepainting exhibition in connection with the celebration of Olaf’s baptism in 1014. Olaf the Holy was indeed baptised here 1000 years ago. The event and the training he received in France now strongly influence Norway. In the middle of October there were church services, concerts, talks and other markings of the anniversary in Rouen, with many Norwegian participants. Catrine Gangstø and Randi Størseth were there to arrange the exhibition and document the associated work.

At this marking, with this exhibition Peacepainting participates in promoting the idea of peace, and it focuses at the same time on the wish for peaceful coexistence across cultures in today’s picture of the world.

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The exhibition shall hang in the cathedral the rest of the year and will create activities around the theme. Photographer Randi Størseth from Trondheim is making a presentation film.

Peterson Packaging sponsors a project together with Peacepainting

Peterson Packaging sponsors a project together with Peacepainting, August 2014. Children over the whole world got the chance to express their feelings with colour with the organisation Peacepainting. Peacepainting organises intuitive painting workshops for children and youth – such that they can express themselves through a language without speech. Peterson Packaging in Ranheim supports the project by contributing strong boards which the children paint on. As thanks for our contribution we were presented with a painting by managing director Catrine Gangstø.

EEA project with Poland

The library in the Polish town Proszowice near Krakow has received 1.1 million kroner in support from EEA funds and has started a cooperation with Peacepainting. The project shall run for 2 years. Read about the project at the Arts Council Norway website here. The first phase of the cooperation began in April 2014, when a group of 12 people from Bindal visited Proszowice and Krakow. Seven students from the three comprehensive schools in Bindal participated in workshops in Proszowice together with 80 Polish young people.

At the end of May 2014 a large delegation of 50 Polish people came to Norway. They visited Bindal and Brønnøy. 35 young people and 15 tour guides were accommodated privately. They joined in in hiking to the mountain, Mulingen, in Bindal, and visited Brønnøysund Upper Secondary School and the mountain, Torghatten. They joined in in a painting workshop and met Norwegian young people at a disco.

The project continues in September 2014, when approximately 20 young people from Bindal and Herøy travel to Poland. Report from project travel in Poland September 2014. Read also in Herøyfjerdingen.

A number of Polish young people and artists are coming back to South Helgeland in spring 2015.

Link to website for the project in Poland.

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