Our two-year long collaborative art project, Unseen: Constellations, provides a platform for seven students from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School who live with visual-impairment and blindness to explore their dreams through a creative process led by artist, Alecia Neo and a team of dedicated mentors.
We're working on a film and exhibition to showcase our journey and student projects, and we need your support. Our exhibition will be held at Objectifs, 155 Middle Road, 188977, from 19th March - 17th April 2016.
In many ways, our students, artist and collaborators are collectively dreaming our world into being. By creating their very own stories, a myriad of projects have sprouted and grown over time.
Each group meets regularly about two to three times a month, and sometimes more, in preparation of events or activities related to their projects.
Amongst the works, there are music videos about friendship and discrimination, original music about kinship, symphonic band composition, a short film about a visually-impaired recruit's journey in the army, coming-of-age experimental films about love, danger and freedom, an audio story book featuring a blind criminal investigator, a stage for motivation, and a proposal for an alternative orphanage!
We believe in a world where differences can be understood and embraced through art and creativity. Your support helps us take another step in continuing our collective story.
By the launch of the final installation, the student participants and their mentors would have been journeying and brain-storming together for two years!
This process includes operational expenses such as manpower, running mentorship sessions, activities with the students, filming/recording/editing final projects, renting activity and performance spaces, printing and art materials and the cost of ensuring each student has safe transport to mentorship sessions and so on.
This project is not just about realising the student's dreams. Our students and our collaborators have put in incredible time and energy into their projects. However, the work needs PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. Perspectives shift when people are motivated to act and be part of a community. And we'd like to invite you to be part of ours.
The March 2016 EXHIBITION is an immersive exhibition that marks a significant milestone for all of us, and we look forward to collectively reflect upon our journey.
Each project will be housed in a unique TENT designed and conceptualised by the students in collaboration with the artist and their mentors. Various communities will be involved in the process of creating materlals for the tents with our students! Read "Who You Will Help" for more details about this : )
Meet the seven student participants from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School!
ADELYN
“Life is Beautiful.”
Adelyn dreams of being a professional singer-songwriter. The theme of friendship is ever important to Adelyn. Under the guidance of her mentor, Sarah Ismile, singer-songwriter from indie band Seyra, Adelyn has written three original songs focusing on the challenges of integration she faces in school, and how she turns to her close friends and family for support. After composing the songs, she developed story for her accompanying music videos that will be featured in her tent installation. Adelyn’s positive and child-like lyrics and stories reveal a yearning to connect and how she seeks to focus on the beauty of the world.
Songlist: Friendship, Believe in Myself, Life is Beautiful
CLAIRE
“Love is revealing you heart completely. Giving him the chance to destroy you, but trusting he would never.”
Claire dreams of being a professional musical theatre performer. For her project, she has been acting, directing and creating music to be used in three experimental films about Love, Danger and Freedom, created in collaboration with Sharda and Sean Harrison of Pink Gajah Theatre Collective. The three films reflect an aspect of Claire’s occasional lapses of triple vision and night blindness. This fierce sense of independence and seeking of her place in the world is reflected in the film when Claire says “We all started off as social outcasts, always being picked last and being victims of bully. Now however, it’s us against the world. It doesn’t matter anymore how others may treat us.”
WEIBIN
“I want to create a happy and safe place for children.”
Wei Bin dreams of having his very own alternative orphanage where animal and martial arts therapy form the core of its programmes. My Special Corner founder and special needs educator, Frederick Chu has taken Weibin on as a teacher assistant, guiding him through various experiences allows Wei Bin to uncover what “helping” really means. Over the past two years, Wei Bin has baked cakes and made craft with My Special Corner students, observed an orphanage in Batam, participated in flag day with Jamiyah Children’s Home, as well as assisted in Aikido and cat assisted therapy programmes for young children. His project is an open proposal for the future, and hopes that the public can join him in this journey of discovery.
JOHN
“The harvest of crime is not happiness.”
John aspires to be a criminal psychologist. An avid reader of criminal novels, John is in the midst of crafting his very own story for a murder mystery where he stars as the central protagonist, a detective who relies in senses other than sight to crack the case! He has been working with After-Care Ministry staff for the Prison Fellowship Singapore, Peter Lim, and Chief Psychologist of the Singapore Police Force, Dr. MajeedKhader. In the course of his project, John has observed court hearings, visited the police headquarters and held public auditions to receive feedback on his script. John hopes to bring the audience into the mind of an elusive detective in his upcoming tent installation.
KAH WEE
“I want to show the different types of people through my film.”
Kah Wee feels strongly for protecting others and building a community of support. His dream is to be in the army. However, due to his visual-impairment, he may not be able to serve national service. In his project, he has roped in his schoolmates to work on a film about a blind recruit in the army, lacing them with adventure, humour and of course, the army spirit. Kah Wee shares his journey with Amal Alderoos, a former sportswoman and Project Executive, Singapore Disability Sports Council and Loo Bin Hui, an Officer in Training in OCS.
NURUL
“Music is my life.”
Nurul has a passion for music and wants to be a professional band musician in the future. An avid symphonic band member, she is working hard to compose her very own pieces. Her mentor Zaidi Sabtu-ramli, a professional musician and composer, has recently helped to transcribe her piece, “A Happy and Relaxing Day” for a symphonic band to play! The piece was recently performed by the Singapore Polytechnic Symphonic Band and Nurul, during their annual concert. Nurul’s journey with music continues, and she has continued writing her own songs and music, in preparation for her upcoming tent installation.
DALLON
“Life is your creation. Stand up and try.”
Dallon's biggest inspiration is Nick Vujicic. Like him, he aspires to be an inspirational speaker to encourage people to overcome the obstacles in their life. Drawing on his personal stories, Dallon has been tirelessly rehearsing his final speech, ready to wow the crowd with his story. Dallon has been working with professional trainer Allen Lim of Conversation Circles, who has introduced Dallon to the art of facilitating conversations. Dallon is currently working towards his first public speaking event, and his tent installation will be an archive of his journey thus far.
We are collecting stories, experiences, thoughts and ideas as part of an Open Call, in response to the question:
"What is UNSEEN to you?"
What does sight and sightlessness mean to you? Entries that come in all shapes, sizes, colours and forms are all welcome! Let us know through Instagram, Twitter or email us at [email protected]
We are also actively looking for in-kind sponsorship for electrical appliances such as TVs, projectors and directional speakers.
Or simply come volunteer to help with our programmes and exhibition!
Share your ideas and skills here: [email protected]
Read more about the project here: unseenart.co
Above: Our student Weibin in Batam, observing the context and interviewing the found of the Orphanage to gain deeper understanding designing environments for orphans to thrive.
