Donate Materials to Contribute to Education Programme for Teachers and Students
Guest Artists Space Foundation (G.A.S.) in partnership with the Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative (FCI), is excited announce My Story of Food: On The Farm!, a one-week creative education programme for school teachers and students from St. John’s Primary School, Ikiṣẹ in Ijebu, Ogun state. Through a series of creative training sessions, the project aims to strengthen the participants’ artistic expression and confidence while encouraging them to reflect on the importance of a balanced diet and deepen their understanding of where food comes from. This inaugural project aligns with our core objective at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikiṣẹ which is to raise environmental consciousness and its stewardship.
Throughout the week, both students and teachers will participate in hands-on workshops designed to spark the students' imagination and develop the educators' creative teaching skills. A young artist-in-residence will join the programme, receiving mentorship in arts education while helping to facilitate daily activities with both educators and students. Together, they’ll explore storytelling and simple puppetry, take part in daily drawing warm ups, and collaborate on a culminating artwork: an appliquéd fabric collage tentatively titled A Colourful Plate of Food is a Healthy Plate of Food. This collective piece will go on to be exhibited in both Lagos and London.
In preparation for the programme, we are calling on our extended community to donate clean, colourful fabrics such as old clothes, offcuts, and textiles to help equip the participating school and ensure that both the children and their teachers have the materials they need to fully explore their creativity.
Please drop-off your fabric contribution at any of the following locations on weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 9am - 5pm
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Lagos: 9b, Hakeem Dickson Drive, off TF Kuboye Road, Oniru, Lagos
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Abuja: Rock of Ages Mall, Utako (Contact Zainab: 09027124777)
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Kano: Sani Sufi ICT Center, Dala (Contact Titilayo: 09067887340)
Deadline: Thursday, 26th June, 2025
By donating, you confirm that you grant G.A.S. Foundation and FCI permission to use the fabrics for artistic purposes, including display during presentations and related promotional materials.
ABOUT THE FIVE COWRIES ART EDUCATION INITIATIVE
The Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative (FCI) uses arts and culture for improved learning outcomes, advocacy, and empowerment. Founded in 2018, FCI designs develops and delivers programmes for classrooms, communities and households. Through our core programmes, we deliver our projects – ‘My Story of Food’, ‘My Story of Water’, ‘My story of Energy’ and ‘My Story of Balance’. Our projects are structured around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Mu Shuka Iri, delivered in North-West Nigeria focuses on empowering women in communities. Ibadandun, delivered in the South-West focuses on developing the capacity of classroom teachers.
This programme is generously supported by Deutsche Bank and delivered by The Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative (FCI) in collaboration with G.A.S.
Header image credit: Bell pepper growing in greenhouses at the Ecoogy Green Farm, Ikise. Image courtesy of Olanrewaju Ali and G.A.S. Foundation.
