Israel, 2025
In December the volunteers from the Know Thyself as Soul Center – Arad opened their doors to the local elderly people in an effort to ease loneliness and provide a friendly atmosphere for the community. They decided to host an event that included an art class given by a professionally experienced volunteer. After the class, they also offered tea and snacks, and sang songs together.
The event required a variety of set up tasks. Some volunteers coordinated art supplies, while others arranged for the cake, masala tea and fruits.
The artwork consisted of using natural materials like: flowers, legumes, grains, and seeds to create landscapes and fun designs. These materials were glued to canvases using hot and regular glue. The Participants enjoyed interacting with each other, and discovering new ways of self-expression.
Particularly valuable was the attentive and respectful attitude toward each participant, supporting their pace and individual vision. The workshop on creating paintings from natural materials was a very warm and inspiring event. The atmosphere was calm, friendly and creative.
We realized that such creative gatherings are very important for supporting the emotional well-being of the elderly and play a significant role in their social and cultural lives.
Feedback from participants:
“The event brought a lot of positive emotions, joy and a sense of community.”
“This project was very interesting. Working together brought us together. The mural resembled a mosaic but made from grains and various natural materials. We thoroughly enjoyed the interaction, wonderful tea with delicious pies, heartfelt conversations, and songs.”