Creative workshops for young people with hearing loss

Non-profit association VAR launches creative project for Romanian teenagers with hearing loss.

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 16.08.2022, 14:00

VAR
Association (Value at Risk) and is a non-profit NGO with no political or
religious affiliations founded in March 2019. Its aim is to respond to problems
and needs in the community by designing and promoting educational, social and
cultural programmes in the field of the performing arts, film, music, dance and
theatre. In January, the association staged a series of projects to promote the
arts at metro stations around Bucharest, and in February it launched a project
called Wave for Me. Vero Nica, the association’s project manager, says this
is a very special kind of project:

Wave for
Me is an international project aimed at promoting the creative potential of
young people with hearing loss, recipients of cochlear implants or people wearing
hearing aids. It forms part of the association’s efforts to assist people with
hearing loss, who have been greatly affected by the pandemic and who need a lot
of support and projects targeted to their needs. Our project is far-reaching in
that it aims to create a virtual art gallery. International communities will also
be able to become involved and we’re holding an open call on 1st
April inviting young people with a passion for the visual arts from around the
world to register, to send us photos of their paintings, photography work or sculptures
to be posted on this online gallery. The entire Wave for Me platform is
intended as an accessible communication channel specifically designed for young
people with hearing loss.

In the
first stage of the project, an interdisciplinary group will give three
workshops consisting of 5 courses each, covering the visual arts, public
speaking and percussion. 24 young Romanians with hearing loss aged between 14
and 18 will be able to attend. Vero Nica, from the VAR Association, explains:

It all
began in February with a series of workshops on visual arts, percussion and
public speaking for young people from Romania. 24 adolescents signed up, all
very enthusiastic and creative. The next stage is the launch of a virtual art gallery,
with some of the works then being exhibited in cities like Sibiu, Timişoara, Iaşi and Bucharest. The exhibition
will be like a summary of the entire project. We’re also talking to international
organisations that may get involved and we’re getting some funding as well from
the Romanian Cultural Fund to allow us to develop this creative project.

The online
gallery will include both works created during the workshops and other contributions
from Romania and abroad received after the launch of the open call. Vero Nica tells
us more:

The
online gallery is dedicated to young people aged between 12 and 18. There will
also be a series of podcasts with young people working in the cultural sectors,
with the first podcast, hosted by Luca Gora, already available on the project’s page.

The third
component of the project is the creation and broadcasting of a series of six
podcasts with guests from Romania and abroad, young people with hearing loss
who work in the cultural sector. By means of these video materials, organisers wish
to bring together people from different geographical areas but with similar
experiences, hobbies and needs and provide adolescents with hearing loss with
the chance to meet other inspiring people like them.

The
travelling exhibition showing the artworks created will be held in July, but until
them, you can find out more about the project and follow its different stages
on Facebook, at WaveforMe, and on Instagram, at waveforme.var.