Children to be taught theatrical crafts in Nur-Sultan
It is worth emphasizing that special attention is paid to working with children at the opera house, all conditions are created for the upbringing and development of an artistic, creatively thinking younger generation.
The children’s craft studio is a continuation of the complex work with schoolchildren. Several clubs for children from 6 to 14 years old will be open at once on the basis of the opera house: «Clothes Construction, Patternmaking and Sewing», «Patchwork», «Wood Carving», «Painting and Drawing». Parents will be able to apply for their kids’ studying on artsport.edu.kz portal. Astana Opera’s staff, with their invaluable experience in the profession, will be the teachers.
«As the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted in his State of the Nation Address, early vocational guidance for children is of particular importance in improving the quality of education. The younger generation should be conscious of the choice of a future profession,» Galym Akhmedyarov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Astana Opera’s general director, says. «As is commonly known, the talents inherent in a person are revealed at a young age. The challenge for adults is to help children find themselves by offering opportunities to unleash their potential. Being aware of the responsibility entrusted to the opera house as a guide into the world of art, Astana Opera does a lot to support the younger generation. For eight years we have had a Children’s Studio with choir and ballet departments. Young artists learn music and dance, develop their natural talents, and take part in theatrical performances along with adult artists. Such a close acquaintance with the profession allows them to make a choice more consciously and deliberately. Another large-scale project, implemented jointly with the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Nur-Sultan Akimat, is the Theatrical Lesson. Its participants, high school students, do not just view the performances as audience members, but also attend informative lectures that precede it, helping to better understand the content of the performance. For greater immersion in the mysterious theatrical atmosphere, schoolchildren are given an excursion to the backstage, where they visit the make-up room, wardrobe department, music library, rehearsal studios,» Galym Akhmedyarov explained.
The new educational program promises to be very informative and interesting. Studying involves learning different forms of theatrical craft, and children will make props and costumes for the selected production. To motivate and spur the students’ creative ambitions, there are plans to organize open lessons and competitions. At the end of the school year, children’s works will be presented at an exhibition, and each student will receive a certificate.
It is important to emphasize that children from 6 to 14 years old, divided into two age groups, will be enrolled to the «Painting and Drawing» course. Children will be taught the basics of composition, different genres and techniques of fine art, the use of improvised materials in their work and much more.
The course «Wood Carving» involves learning properties and methods of wood processing, development of different types of carving, creation of props and the like.
Training in clothing construction, patternmaking and sewing is expected to be no less interesting. The course is designed for adolescents from 10 to 14 years old, who will be taught the basic techniques and skills of working with fabric, selecting and sewing various items of clothing, including a headdress. Naturally, everything will happen in relation to theatrical costumes.
«The studio is designed not only to instill interest in the opera house, to promote the development of children’s talents and to form handcraft skills, but also to popularize theatrical crafts among schoolchildren. Perhaps some of the studio’s pupils will find themselves in art-related professions. This will be the most significant result of its work,» Galym Akhmedyarov concluded.