Pass the Crayon

Hey guys, this week we are going to be making Avatars! (No, not that sort... more like this) ======> This week's craft is inspired by last Friday's art class at the shelter in Spandau, where we helped the kids make their very own Avatars. This was a fun and easy craft to do, and the kids really enjoyed experimenting with the colour and design of their personal Avatars. After they finished making them, the kids spent time writing a profile for their Avatars, and they each crea

They smash gender norms, they challenge entrenched beliefs: Welcome to Day 4 in our 'Refugee Women in Politics' series. Today we are taking a closer look at Özlem Cekic, a Danish-Turkish ex-MP and Muslim, who is confronting racism head-on. Originally from Ankara, Turkey, Özlem Cekic moved to Denmark as a young child and grew up in Copenhagen. Cekic is one of the first ever Muslim MPs to be elected to parliament in Denmark. At 20 Cekic entered a marriage arranged by her parent

They smash gender norms, they challenge entrenched beliefs: Welcome to Day 3 in our 'Refugee Women in Politics' series. Today we are taking a look at the German Marxist theorist and co-founder of International Womens Day, Clara Zetkin. This is a vintage one, but Clara Ketkin makes our list because she was one of the first ever women in modern day politics to occupy real power within her party. She was a champion of Women's Rights, an amazing public speaker, and her legacy, In

They smash gender norms, they challenge entrenched beliefs: Welcome to Day 2 in our 'Refugee Women in Politics' series. Today we are profiling Ilhan Omar, the first EVER Somali-American Muslim women, and refugee, to be elected to the House of Representatives. ILHAN OMAR Ilhan Omar arrived in the United States aged 12, after having spent the last four years in a Kenyan refugee camp. When she arrived she spoke no English, but she learnt to speak it... in only 3 months! Yeah I k

No, not the Batman kind- this kind! =======> Yes, Halloween is just around the corner, so this week we are gifting you with a step-by-step guide to making your very own bat mobile. This is a slightly more complicated craft than last week, so if you are doing it with small children you can always simplify the process by just making one bat, and maybe leave out the whole mobile part, as it is fiddly widdly woooooo 👻👻 So grab those left over toilet rolls, and the black card, a

They smash gender norms, they challenge entrenched beliefs: Welcome to the first in our 'Refugee Women in Politics' series. Every day this week we will introduce you to a new refugee politician, each of whom has made unique contributions to the fight for gender equality and refugee rights. THE STATS. Did you know, that only 8% of global world leaders are female? 8 percent!!! Clearly this is a shame, not only from an intellectual perspective, but from a pragmatic one too. Havi

When considering the socially unifying and emotionally cathartic impact Art can have, there a few examples that validate this perception more than the work of Joel Bergner (AKA Joel Artista). Joel is a pioneer of 'community-based public art', and has facilitated hundreds of community murals in some of the most deprived areas of the world. These beautiful murals, hand-painted by the whole community, tell the story of a collective group of people- their voices amplified through

Last weekend, Pass the Crayon was invited by OUTLAW.die Stiftung to attend their event 'Mit Sicherheit Gut Ankommen' in Treptow Park, from 29th September to 1st October. This travelling maritime project ("Schiffsprojekt") began its journey in Norway, before travelling across the North Sea and along the German river systems, to reach its final destination, Berlin, in coincidence with the United Nations World Refugee Day. The project The objective of this social-cultural proje

Yesterday I helped with an art workshop at the refugee shelter in Spandau- the activity of the day was... print making! The prints were fun and easy to make (but MESSY), and the results came out really well. The kids enjoyed it so much that they wanted to keep making more and more prints, so we had to start re-using the backs of pieces of foam. So my two big tips for hosting group print-making workshops are-- bring a LOT of materials. And do NOT not leave the paint rollers un

Last weekend Pass the Crayon attended an event held along the banks of the river Spree, featuring a refugee rescue ship, and 70 copper figurines... This was 'Mit Sicherheit Gut Ankommen', a visionary project which saw artists and refugee initiatives from all over Europe gather together in solidarity with refugees and the welcome culture movement. The main focus of Mit Sicherheit Gut Ankommen was the celebration of the journey of two ships (first the M/S Anton, and then Al-had