On January 29th, the final session of the “Yanominami Project” was held! For this third and final session, the children completed the pieces they had been working on throughout the earlier classes! Specifically, they hammered in the components while adjusting the overall balance, decorated the plywood base, and attached the letters. The base used a material resembling grass, and the children were thrilled to work with this unusual material. It was impressive to see them decorating with such enjoyment.
For the lettering, they carved the project name “Time and Space’s Annual Rings,” which the children themselves came up with, onto the table leg components. They also attached the letters “YANOMINAMI”! The design turned out incredibly cute, featuring a brilliant idea from an elementary school student: turning the ‘O’ in “YANOMINAMI” into a clock!
The completed work will be installed in the school’s entranceway. We hope it will be cherished not only by the children involved in its creation but also by future students who will enroll here!
In the latter part of the class, we held a roundtable discussion-style lecture featuring professionals from various fields: university professors, furniture craftsmen, carpenters, designers, architects, filmmakers, and university students.
Through this project, we students also gained much inspiration from the children’s sensibilities and the skills of the professional artisans. This project is a continuous effort spanning three years. While this year’s activities have concluded for now, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with everyone at Yano Minami Elementary School next year and beyond, aiming to build on this success for even better activities.
The second session of the “Yanomi Project,” conducted with Yano Minami Elementary School and Sakura Saku, took place on January 16th. During the first session, we dismantled surplus desks and chairs together with the elementary school students. In the second session, we progressed with creating artwork by securing the dismantled furniture parts to pre-made bases using nails and screws.
This time, approximately 40 elementary students were divided into six groups. Similar to the previous session, they worked in groups focused on dismantling furniture, attaching parts to the base, and designing the letters for the artwork. After some dismantling and securing of parts was completed, it was wonderful to see the students happily enjoying the workshop, each choosing their favorite task!
What started as a simple circular base transformed as the students attached numerous pieces. By the end of the session, it had become an impressive and beautiful piece. It was memorable seeing the students happily using tools they rarely get to handle, like impact drivers and pneumatic nailers, under professional guidance!
Finally, the design team proposed names for the piece, and after a vote by the elementary students, it was named “The Rings of Time and Space”! Production will now continue with the university students and Sakura Saku, with completion planned for the third and final session! We can’t wait to see the finished piece!