2013.10.16
●Report on Shinchi Elementary School (10 Spt 2015)
Shinchi Elementary School (Fukushima) had a change in the plan for how they use the donation. Their initial plan was to develop a new name of a designated area within the “disaster prevention green zone” and produce its signboard. However, as it became clear that the “green zone” was to be constructed by aid from governments, the school decided to purchase a play equipment. On 25 August, a brand-new slide was installed in the schoolyard, where children were just recently allowed to play outdoors. The presentation ceremony was attended by the whole school, and some graduates, now junior-high students, who actually contributed drawings for the handkerchiefs in 2012.
●Report on Shiromaru Elementary School (updated 20 Mar 2014)
Shiromaru Elementary School (Miyagi) is a hub for community network: it hosts sports festival every year and also becomes an evacuation centre in a time of disaster. The children will develop two projects out of the donation. Firstly they will make various flags with symbol marks for each local area in Shiromaru district. The flags can become signs in times of both peace and disaster. Secondly they will install notice boards in front of school gates to encourage school and local community share the information. The flags and notice boards will be produced in February 2014, again in collaboration with designers and children.
On 28 February, the flags and notice boards were presented to children.
●Report on Otsuchi Elementary School (updated 20 Mar 2014)
The children of Otsuchi Elementary School (Iwate) conducted a questionnaire among all the 6th graders, who contributed the drawings for handkerchiefs in 2012. The class representatives narrowed down the options from as many as 400 to 6, such as purchasing books or playground equipment and inviting a travelling zoo. Their conclusion was to host an one-day festival square in a gym, so that not only themselves but also the whole school and local community can enjoy shopping and playing around stalls.
On 12 and 13 February, the 6th graders hosted the festival for 1st to 5th graders and school crossing guards from local community.
●Report on Shinchi Elementary School (updated 20 Mar 2014)
Shinchi is a coastal town in Soma-gun, Fukushima. The prefecture and town governments are planning to develop the severely affected areas into “disaster prevention green zone”. The children of Shinchi Elementary School (Fukushima) discussed how they can contribute to this project, which is expected to become a focal point of community gathering and a symbol for revitalization of the town. Their conclusion was to develop a new name of a designated area within the green zone and produce its signboard. It takes four more years or so until the coastal area gets maintained, so the school will keep the signboard and transfer it when it’s completed.
●Report on Naraha Minami-kita Elementary School (16 Oct 2013)
The children of Naraha Minami-kita Elementary School decided to use the profit of handkerchiefs to bring drum and bugle corps back to their school. They could not bring their instruments because of radioactive concerns when they evacuated to Iwaki City. JAGDA supported the sixth-graders to reach the conclusion at a workshop in July, and donated a set of instruments equivalent of 1.25 million yen to the school in August. They practiced over a month and performed their school song in front of their families and people of Naraha Town at a school festival on 12 October.
●Reports on sales and exhibitions (updated 5 Jan 2015)
From January 2013 to May 2014, the Handkerchiefs Exhibition 2 was held at 27 venues in 22 cities in Japan, Singapore and UK, selling 8,769 handkerchiefs on site and online. The profit, 5,046,566 Yen in total, will be donated to four participating schools in Tohoku, where children have started to discuss how to make the most of the donation. Their plans will be posted here in autumn.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. for their support on touring the exhibition.
- Handkerchiefs by children in Tohoku and designers across Japan to lift up your spirit -
In 2011 Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc. (JAGDA) organised "Handkerchiefs for Tohoku Children" exhibition showcasing original handkerchiefs by its member designers. They were exhibited and sold across Japan and overseas, and with its profit, we presented 7,000 pieces to children in Tohoku region. To continue our support for the affected areas, this year we produced handkerchiefs in collaboration with children in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima as Part 2 of the Handkerchiefs Project. The handkerchiefs created by 385 designers and 232 children are available at exhibition venues and online for wider audience. The sales will be donated to children who contributed drawings, so that they can find how to make use of it to rebuild their own communities.
More
