Workshop in Amman

SWillustrator Nadine Wickenden has recently

returned from running a Workshop in Amman.

This is her report of the experience...

I was asked to go to Amman in Jordan to teach 

some locals my  technique and then we worked
 together creating 2 kids books. It was all down to
this amazing woman Rana Dajani (a professor of biology) 

who has a passion for getting the local kids reading. 

It seems there isn't a tradition of parents reading to
young children in Jordan, so she began by asking her
 local mosque if she could do story telling  there and from
 this it grew to other mosques and other countries. 

She applied to the American Embassy for one of their

Arabic book program grants and with this grant
 she paid for me to do this workshop.

  

 Here's one picture from each student. 

None of them had painted in watercolour before,

so it was a steep learning curve for them.

 

We were working in a summer school for young children

and I was also asked to teach them one morning. 

It was a marvellous venue. We had children's voices 

in one direction and calling to prayer drifting

 through the window in the other.

 Here are some of their pictures:-

This has been the best experience in my working life. 

Our press sometimes  portrays the Muslim community
 in a negative light, but from my experience this couldn't be

 further from the truth - such friendly, funny, generous people.

 I loved every minute with them.