When IPek started Wunschgarten with weekly creative activities, COVID broke out and everything had to be turned into a pandemic-safe programme. Wunschgarten was already designed as a combination of creative empowerment workshops and outreach social work for kids between 8–12. The activities were planned to be held in public space, which made it practical to stick to the plans made before the pandemic.
Although the communal painting projects had to wait another two years to be realised, new ideas found room to bring the same satisfaction of having a communal result from that season’s works. The main goal of building bridges between different layers of society through drawing had to be realised in a way that brought kids together without physical contact.
So IPek collected motifs through an open call and from weekly plein-air drawing sessions. The motifs were later transformed into a postcard-shaped colouring booklet. The booklet allowed all participants to enjoy a tangible outcome of this COVID-safe community, created by the collection of motifs. It also served as material for further workshops, where other kids from other parts of the city practised mindfulness by colouring the postcards.

Would you like to create a participatory coloring booklet for your social institute, museum, or community centre – have IPek do it with your community, or learn to do it yourself?
Contact IPek here.