ARTOOLKIT - Beauty through ages and places - Maja Jagar from Croatia

TRAINER'S NAME: Maja Jagar
ORGANIZATION: Italian elementary school “Galileo Galilei”, NGO Communitas Umag
TITLE: Beauty through ages and places.
COUNTRY: Croatia

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOOL: We are all different but beautiful in our own way - like flowers or plants around us. The tool wants to compare different rituals and customs on what is considered to be beautiful in different countries and through the time in the same countries - how beauty is shaped by the actual societal norms and laws and is relative. The activities also aims at making a connection among identity, nationality and culture.

TYPE OF TOOL: interactive workshop.

TOPICS: beauty, relativism, diversity, tolerance, awareness.

TIME: 2 hours, in groups who are prone to deeper discussion even 3 hours, if there is enough time for letting the flow of the process.

TARGET GROUP: people of all ages, backgrounds and interests; with focus on women

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: min 5, max 30.

OBJECTIVES: self empowerment, tolerance of diversity, admiration
of diversity, learning about diversity as something normal, learning about beauty as a social concept that is in constant evolution.

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY: Theoretic introduction with pictures and media materials, icebreaker, presentation of participants learning about different cultural customs, group work, individual work, reflection, discussion, evaluation.

1. Introduction - presentation of facilitator and the topic

2. Icebreaker - think about a fun icebreaker/get to know activity - for example “How did I get my name?” where you put participants in pairs and then one explains how his or her pair got the name
Introduction to the topic by asking the question - what are the beauty standards in your country? How do we know that someone is beautiful? Presentation of beauty ideals in different countries - by analyzing together magazines or digital material.

3. Powerpoint presentation “Beauty through places and time” - ppt presentation where there are pictures of ladies from different countries. There is different beauty ideal also through ages - middle age - big belly that symbolizes fertility, 20’ - short hair, cigarettes - women had to work instead of men, fashion is being practical and handy, 50’, 70’, beauty ideals today that are not realistic - porno model/anorexic body - both body types very hard to reach - interest of fashion/cosmetic industry - If you feel bad in your skin, you will spend more money on trying to change it. Ask the participants: “If an aien came to earth, what beauty standards would he find strange?” For example silicons in your mouth, breast, butt - why do women do it? To satisfy whom? Beauty rituals in different countries - China - feet, Giraffe tribe, ladies with rings in the lip, us today. Group discussion.

4. Discussion - what is possibly to be done? How can we start to respect “normal beauty” not enhanced by some radical actions like liposuction or plastic surgery? Discussion with participants on possible activism.

5. Evaluation - what have I learnt today? What was interesting, what could be better? What do I bring home with me? What difference can I make in my surrounding?

DYNAMIC OF THE GROUP: This is a part of eating disorder prevention programme for girls and young women (95 % of persons with eating disorders are girls - because of various factors one of which is presentation of women in the media - fashion and cosmetic industry/patriarchal societies etc).. Boys are welcomed in the group, but the focus is on women question. The same workshops can be done making research on the position of men through places and time - how they should be strong, have muscles, “bring bread” to their families etc.

NEEDED MATERIALS: beauty magazines from different countries, Flip chart, PowerPoint - computer and projector if possible.

TIPS FOR FACILITATORS: I did this workshop in different settings and found it very universal and neutral, there were no offended or confused people. For the facilitator it is very important to keep himself/herself from judging people’s comments or views but it is suggested to direct them toward healthy choices if you see they are for example advocating being anorexic or some similar extreme thing.
Be yourself, be proud who you are! Our participants learn best from people who live what they preach/teach.

POWERPOINT'S LINK: http://www.mediafire.com/file/0j3f29n...


This video is part of ARTOOL, Video Toolkit of methodologies based on art in the field of intercultural dialogue, anti – discrimination, inclusion of migrants and peacebuilding processes. The Toolkit has been developed within the work plan 2017 "Mandala - Meeting is an art", financed by the European Youth Foundation of Council of Europe.