As many of you might know, Liam and Loura are art-expats in the vibrant green city of Nanning. A semi-sized city located in Southern China. They have been living there since 2016 and have made great meaningful connections and collaborations with other artists, both locally and internationally.
Over the years Liam and Loura have grown very close to Scott, a Canadian native English Teacher with Vietnamese and Chinese roots, and HaHa, a Chinese local Montessori teacher. They recently opened their own language school in Nanning ”HomeSchool” which is a stone’s throw from Meraki’s very own private dance studio.
Besides their friendship, they share a lot of common thoughts and ideas on education and with that in mind, they decided to collaborate by designing an exclusive in-depth experience for children… A camp where both language and arts are targeted and where children in a playful and positive way are exposed to new ideas and thoughts.
The theme of this winter camp was ‘Chinese new year’. Over the course of five days, the four teachers took the students on a playful journey discovering different foods, arts and crafts, and of course, movement exploration in relation to new beginnings, new year festivities, and more.
Amongst the participants where both local and foreign children which made the experience of exchange between cultures even deeper and more meaningful.
The teachers noticed that by creating a healthy, safe and inspirational learning environment, the participants were able to bloom, help each other and learn new skills. Both their verbal communication (English) and their non-verbal communication (dance) improved gradually and the students were able to express themselves more clearly and honestly.
One of the highlights of the winter camp was the final presentation of the dragon dance they learned and choreographed together at the end of the week, whilst wearing their hand-made costumes. Truly a feast for all!
Are you interested in organizing a camp yourself and would you like Meraki to assist and/or join? Feel free to contact us with any questions and/or offers. Check out the images below to see the setting and feel the happy vibes of this unforgettable event!
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