Sogetsu Teachers
Assoziation |
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Workshop "How does one teach Ikebana to children?”
Leitung Helene Lanz und Hedda Lintner |
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Introduction from the book: M. Sikora-Schoeck
Ikebana and Children - A Daring Venture?
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Ikebana and Children - A Daring Venture? |
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No, this is not a risky venture because children instinctively understand the following criteria, and above all, they enjoy observing:
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- Cycles in nature, the growth patterns of plants, e.g. the way most branches grow up towards the sun.
- Transience as a law of nature; beauty within natural decay; interest arising
from hindered growth (e.g. crooked lines, bizarre forms)
- Interesting characteristics of lines, when they are seen isolated from their natural contexts; respect for beauty in small details
- The principle of economy when cutting branches: “less is more”; cutting from wild growth is a form of education!
- The Yin-Yang principle: the constant juxtaposition of strong and weak, light and dark, i.e. the conflict situation which exists in nature and our desire to bring harmony into this “cosmos in a nutshell”.
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Ikebana may serve the purpose of interpreting or telling about something (for example an idea, a context, a room’s atmosphere), or be made for a particular person or group of people. Here caution is required, since one can all too easily stimulate children’s fantasy with the materials supplied, yet on the other hand, just as easily block the children’s own inspirations and development.
Using artificial materials to form abstract constructions is not a problem, with the following restriction: if the basic rules are not followed, such creations can easily go off course, becoming both confused and clumsy.
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Even the principles of asymmetry and of emptiness, neither of which is native to children’s arranging habits, are not hard to teach. However, they must be explained in a way which children can easily understand. The asymmetrical principle can be demonstrated by using examples from nature; emptiness, room to breathe, space to dream, or the window (without which neither air nor light could get into a house) are useful analogies. References to situations in everyday family life also help to build understanding.
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Over the course of the many years spent working with Ikebana for children, we have discovered helpful techniques for engaging children in our art.
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Most children especially enjoy activities such as the following: |
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- searching and finding while on adventure walks
- show-and-tell Ikebana, whether as the audience or as the arranger telling the others
- occasional ceramics afternoons
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It became clear to us that following scholarly procedures and working only according to rules quickly caused the children’s interest to flag. We needed to bring variety and excitement into our approach, since the results of our efforts to make an arrangement fade away quickly, leaving nothing permanent behind (unlike the case of drawing or ceramics). The children can therefore only receive limited recognition of their work from friends or family, since their creations have such a short lifespan.
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We had to accommodate a wide range of ages within the course group. Over time we have found out that there are two optimal age groupings and have derived the following pedagogical objectives for each:
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1. From 5 to around 10 years old:
An important fantasy phase in the children’s character development!
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- Training the eyes and senses to recognise shapes which occur naturally and do not have to be constructed as in some other disciplines.
- Respect for and admiration of natural phenomena
- Shaping materials, as a metaphor for harnessing and thereby educating. The children learn that being formed by education and the recognition of limits are both morally and aesthetically important principles.
- Appreciation of beauty and cultivation of the same
- Feeling for creation in three-dimensional space
- Training of fantasy and creativity: Ikebana materials are varied, free of charge and readily available in our environment
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Ikebana means an all-encompassing entrance into artistic arranging:
We are convinced that Ikebana – in addition to the arts & crafts classes offered in schools – offers a good and beautiful opportunity for young people to increase their skills and creativity.
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Ikebana teaches children to use a wide range of material according to existing principles. The principles cannot be broken, but must always be reassessed and adapted to new circumstances. Ikebana offers the kind of flexibility training that young people urgently need in our rapidly changing world. |
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From the book of M. Sikora-Schoeck
Ikebana and Children - A Daring Venture?
Tel./Fax +49-(0)7351-72018, Kontakt
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