Under the Empowering Communities cluster, a dynamic print programme was designed to promote learning through the medium of fine art printmaking. The initial two months of the project were spent devising a detailed course outline and preparing teaching materials which was then carried out over the remaining months.
Project officer Aleem Dad Khan first came to Wales in 2006 as a visiting Artist from the Hunza region of Pakistan during the Festival of Muslim Cultures project. This was made possible through a sponsorship via Artes Mundi, one of the partners of the Curiad Calon Cymru [CCC] Development Partnership [DP]. After a short period back in Pakistan, Aleem returned to Swansea Print Workshop in January as Project Officer for the EQUAL project.
Through the training and tuition received at Swansea Print Workshop, including ‘one to one’ tuition sessions from the Studio Manager, taking part in the workshop programmes and masterclasses as well as involvement in leading Open Access sessions, Aleem gained and consolidated the skills necessary to lead the weekly workshops with participant groups as well as managing and overseeing the running of the project.
The EQUAL workshops were geared towards minority groups based in Swansea who had the potential to gain new skills through the medium of printmaking. Widely advertised and highly successful, the project attracted participants from Spain, Iran, Czech Republic, Latvia, Pakistan, Wales, India, Canada and Scotland as well as successfully targeting those with Chinese, Philippino, African and Arabic backgrounds.
In-depth skills and capacity building work was undertaken with twenty participants. Workshops were given in Collagraph, Dry Point, Wood Cut, Lino Cut, Cyanotype, Copper Sulphate Etching and Etching with Aquatint.
By the end of the project, participants who completed the course had progressed from Entry level requiring 100% support to the capacity for independent working. After completing the project, EQUAL beneficiaries went on to become members of SPW. Some of their artwork was amongst other selected members work at the Swansea Print Workshop Annual exhibition, Grand Theatre Swansea, February 2008.
After returning to Pakistan, Aleem Dad Khan has now returned was appointed as a lecturer.
Swansea Print Workshop’s EQUAL Project took place between January and December 2007 in partnership with AWEMA [All Wales Ethnic Minority Association].
The Curiad Calon Cymru Development Partnership was part funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) in the period July 2005 to October 2007 under the Community Initiative EQUAL Programme, which was administered in Wales by WEFO. AWEMA was the lead partner with 15 other core partners (some all Wales, many local, including Race Equality Councils and 5 wider partners to deliver the work).