Just like every year, this year too the gallery offered a number of accompanying educational programs with an Easter theme and celebrations of the arrival of spring. These programs are the most visited in the gallery every year, even in terms of the number of young visitors, they often surpass even the very popular Christmas workshops.
This year's thematic educational program for school groups was mainly aimed at the youngest audience - kindergartens and the first grade of primary schools. At the same time, this year, also traditionally, two workshops for families with children were held - one on Maundy Thursday, which was followed by the rattle procession, which we organized for the third time this year, and the other on Holy Saturday.
Every year, the gallery educator Pavlína prepares a new program for young visitors, because individual classes regularly return to us, which makes us very happy, and that is why we always try to prepare a new experience for them and pass on new knowledge to them. At the same time, every year we also "open" our gallery collections and include selected thematic works in the program.
This year they were: Spring in the fields by Antonín Majer, Pietà with a mouse by Bohuslav Reynek and Pietà by Vladimír Jarcovják.
It was the last named work that served as inspiration for creation for the little ones. Using strips of paper, they put together their own creation, into which they then put a red circle with a sponge. For some it was more than one circle… :-)
A slightly more complex creation was prepared for older children. We bought biodegradable flower pots and everyone decorated theirs according to their imagination using natural materials (jute, paper ribbons). After that, the children also received a paper bag, which they could also decorate, into which we sprinkled watercress seeds, which they could then plant in the decorated flower pot at home.
The talk this year was focused on the traditions associated with the arrival of spring, such as burning Morana, there was also an explanation of the Easter whip and with the children we also stopped at the permanent exhibition to look at the work of František Bílek, which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which we also talked about.
A workshop for families with children took place on Maundy Thursday morning. In addition to talking and creating, we prepared a small "green" treat for the children. This year it was bread smeared with Lučina spread or butter and sprinkled with lamb's lettuce (although we planted our own watercress ahead of time, it unfortunately did not grow in time for the workshop), and mint tea.
And at noon we set off for the rattle procession. Masks from the T.E.J.P Theater also joined us this year. The sun shone beautifully on our way, we arrived in Smetana park, where the traditional Fair was held, full of energy. We would like to thank Brána Jihlava, thanks to which the children received a traditional Easter cake from the hands of the mayor of Jihlava.
We ended this year's educational Easter program with a Saturday workshop for families with children.
Thank you to all the children, teachers and parents who visited us as part of these programs!
Jana Jarošová, April 2024
phone number: 567 301 681; 721 434 761
jarosova@ogv.cz