Arts Program Culminating Event

This year Global Playground Teaching Fellow Hannah Bunting taught two arts-based cross-cultural courses to students at Agsilab Elementary School in the Panay island of the Philippines.

At the conclusion of the school year, students of all ages displayed their works from the school year at the Global Playground Arts Program Culminating Event on March 30. The youngest class, with students from kindergarten to grade 3, visited 30 countries this year through their studies with Hannah Bunting and collected crafts from each of them!

The older class, with students in grades 4-6, focused on countries weekly to gain a deeper understanding of history. Students looked at countries that have developed post-colonialism (Brazil, Vietnam, Morocco, India, South Africa), and saw how cultures combine and mix over time to give us the world we live in today.

The older class spent time in India and Tibet, where they studied the ancient sacred mandala — a pattern that symbolizes the universe in Buddhism. After a unit on street art in Brazil, students took to heart the idea of spreading art wherever they go– seen in practice here, where several students chose to decorate the floors for the culminating event!

Looking at traditional Peruvian textiles, Agsilab Elementary School’s youngest students decorated some adorable alpacas with their own colorful renditions.

After studying tessellation in Islamic art, the divine geometry called Zellige, the 4-6 grade class made their own inspired tiles.

A map was the center of this board, filled with marks of the many places students traveled to this year. Around it, student art is displayed: St. Peter’s Basilica from Russia, and paper airplanes representing the companion hunting eagles from Kazakhstan.

The younger class was given coaching on making Sri Lankan paper sarees for these paper ladies, and they really ran with the chance to design! Here, Kindergarten teacher Ma’am Geraldine poses with some of her students’ work.

At the start of the New Year, certain Buddhist monks hang new prayer flags to spread positive energy over the land via the wind. Students made their own wishes for their families and communities on these simple flags–an homage to the beautiful flags hung on the mountains of Tibet!

Traditional paper art for Lunar New Year. Crafts from five countries were made in celebration of the Year of the Dog! These paper pups are filled with good wishes for friends and family.

Pointillism is not limited to Europe in the 19th century. Australian Aboriginal art also incorporates dot-painting, based on an ancient and sacred form of storytelling.

Older students point to their work showcased on the school board.

This student-made braided rug served as the “Magic Carpet” that flew the youngest class around the world this year!