The Language of Facial Expression

There are 6,500 languages spoken across the world and so many culture differences throughout the globe. But even if a language barrier exists, you can explain yourself through the expression of your face to people the world over. It doesn't matter if you speak English, Thai or Shan- when you smile everyone will see that you are happy and if you start crying you will probably receive support and solace in every country.

This week we spoke with our students from Thai Freedom House about different emotions, moods and feelings. By moving just a few muscles their face can change completely and express happiness, anger or sadness.  

We had the students draw different emotions and that showed them that nothing stands completely on its own. When you move the shape and position of your eyes and mounth, it affects everything else. 

Afterwards the students continued the workshop by making emotions-stress-balls in the beautiful garden. We filled colourful balloons with cornstarch and a bit of oil. The result was a funny stress-ball that can be formed in particularly any shape.

Later the students used their newly acquired knowledge to decorate stress-balls they made out of balloons by drawing facial expressions on them. To improve their artwork they gave the stress-balls a nice hair-do using wool. By kneading and forming the stress- ball the facial expression could change and became more or less strong. 

To present the finished artworks to each other we sat down in a circle and talked about the facial expression they had chosen for their stress-ball. Nearly every student had chosen a laughing and happy face expression and the explanation were always the same : "we're happy, to be in the school and to make arts. We wish that the ARI would come every day and make art workshops with us!"

At the end of our lesson the kids still had so much energy and creativity so that they continued making art outside on the walls of the Thai Freedom House.......

…....the day ended with more FUN, GAMES and MUSIC! And we could tell by the look on everyone's face, that we all were HAPPY!

See you next Monday!

-Alena