Studio Touch

1. Studio Touch Ina Dunning Manager dagbesteding Het Huis te Echten Royal Dutch Visio Mei 2012

3. Introduction Studio Touch is a part of Het Huis te Echten, part of Royal Dutch of Visio,Centre of Expertise for blind and partially sighted people.

4. The indentified needs of clients (individual demands) led to a new initiative in 1999 to organise creative courses. A unique formula has come into existence with which we can offer hihg-level creative en artistic education and a training programma. Studio Touch was one of the winners of the Entrepeneurship Visio contest in 2005.

5. 1. Mission of Royal Dutch Visio Royal Dutch Visio supports visually impaired and blind people with the realisation of their desire to live, learn and work independently. Visio is a trustworthy partner, who works in a result oriented and coherent manner, focussed on the satisfaction of the client. Respect for clients and their quality of life are central in this. The client inspires Visio to work in a professional, creative and flexible manner.

6. 2. Objective Studio Touch

7. The general objective of Studio Touch Supporting students with (a) mutiple disability(ies) in the development of creativity The current students have: • a visual and mental disability • a visual en auditory impairment • a visual en physical disablity

8. B. General learning objects The student: • learns how to express himself creatively • acquires the ability to learn his own possibilties and to develop himself • learns how to communicate about himself in relation to what which was learned • learns how to work independently • learns how to enter into acceptance process of a visual impairment

9. C. Specific learning objectives • Relaxation • Development • Developing and/or preserving • Meaningful daytime activities

10. 3. Method of Studio Touch

11. A. Vision Studio Touch • Clients have the right to develop their creative abilities • And to make choices in what they want to learn as individuals • Studio Touch supports this realization • All students can achieve this in their own way adn within their own abilities

13. B. Vision of learning • Studio Touch gives students the opportunity to learn at their own level • a fixed working method • his/her own area to work • guidance individually • and with this we meet the student’s learning need(s) en potential

14. The course package always contains a mix of knowledge, skills, motivation en personal development • Personal development: by taking a course students feel that they can be seen en heard • they become aware of themselves in relation to their own potential • positive effect on their self-esteem and confidence

15. 1. Teaching method • Point of departure is that what the students wants to learn: • theoretical knowledge and skills in the area of creativity • social skills (work together, making contacts) • learning about their own performance en behaviour

16. 2. Teaching method is used flexibily • listen to the explanation of the supervisior • watch, feel, smell and listen to the instruction • apply the skill under supervision • apply the skill independently • talk about his/her experiences in applying the skill • drawning conclusions in response to the created product

18. 3. Coaching • The basis of the coaching consists of given instructions, listening, asking questions en constantly motivating the student, enthusing and building confidence. - this helps to realise competences, which are necessary to fulfil the learning needs - this can lead to new learning needs on the basis of the cyclical process

19. 4. Criteria • Locations in the middle of the community • Areas have been set up with individual workspaces and suitable passageways • Atmosphere is calm - colour usage - smell - sound - agreements - keeping the workshop safe en organised

20. C. Procedure and method courses and workshops

21. 1. Introduction • Studio Touch is a studio that offers courses (different groupes) • Every course requires a separate registration • The courses are often offered according to theme (every student can relate to theme)

22. Every year several workshops are taught (on demands of students) • perception and experience • material and techniques • textile working methods • materials en techniques (sculpting) • seasonal workshops

23. Studio Touch has also an art lending library, which entirely consists of work made by students • students take part in society and society is introduced to the students’ work • a course location on equal footing for creative activities in Hoogeveen en the immediate vicinity • we can work on behalf of companies and organisations

24. 2. Intake interview The new potential student and a member of staff have an intake interview of 60 minutes. The goal is to align mutual expections, the working method of Studio Touch and the learning needs of potential student.

25. 3. Conversations topics • What was and is his/her creative interest? • What are the physical abilities of the potential student? • What is his/her motivation to take a course? At the end, agreements will be made about taking a course en the choice of course ( drawing/painting,mixed media or sculpting)

26. 4. Contraindication • Students cannot concentrate enough to learn • Studio touch cannot offer the possibilities to offer a balance between the possibilities en impossibilities of the student • Unmanageable, difficult to understand behavior

27. 5. Trial period The lenght of the trial period is six weeks: - to discuss the student’s questions and potential - to enable the student to learn and work as optimally as possible within her/his potential To enable the alignment of the learning need and potential of the students, the supervisor and student need to know how the limitations are dealt with.

28. 6. Observations points • Photosensitivity points • Sensitivity for environmental stimuli • How is the orientation in the (work)spaces? • Motor skills

29. 7. General working method The students: • During the first course day the student will meet fellow students, areas and working spaces(s) • Under supervision the student orientates himself/herself in the own working spaces and the other areas • If necessary the working space will be adapted

30. General work methods for the supervisor: • Specific points in the supervision • Specific points for visually and auditory impaired students • Every individual work space can be supplemented

31. Structuring the materials, two goals: • recognition • order, amounts, smell • encouraging indepent work

32. 8. Colour sense • To find out which colours the student can distinguish • The student needs to know where each color is: • auditory, visual, touch, smell

33. 9. Choice of course

34. 10. Evaluation trial period and continuation course programme • Evaluation on mutual aspects of the content and process • Continuation depends on the needs en the progress by the student • A demand-driven and individual approach is necessary to gain more in depth en refined abilities • learn new techniques and meterials • exploring en expanding personal imagery

35. Courses that Studio Touch has developed, can be connected to: • getting to know new techniques and materials • developing and maintaining skills • further developing the expressive power • a theme • a project • a competition • an assignment

36. 11. Results • In some situations students become aware of themselves in relation to their potential. A side effect is that in the personal living environment the learned skills, becoming an outlet for feelings of displeasure and discomfort. • This can have an effect on the student’s personal living environment. • This results in the possibility of reducing forms of aggression.