Interview of Fauzia Minallah in Artech Magazine

巴基斯坦艺术家 Fauzia Minallah  风的气味阳光的高度－盲童公园  采访做多了就深明一个道理，我们很多时候不是不想做而是从来没有想起过。在做完这个采访之后，我跟一个朋友聊起这位巴基斯坦艺术家所做的，我说我很惭愧，香港这么发展的地方也没有一个专为盲童的公园，不是钱的问题，是没有想过的问题。我问我的朋友，他有没有想过，他说，如果他的女儿是盲的，他肯定会想到。 我第一次看见这个专为盲童的公园真的从心里感动出来，公园设施的高度、周边的花草树木的气味及风向与回音也在设计安排上加以特别的考虑，让看不见的但却可以看见一样的安全在玩耍。多美。 Fauzia Minallah是巴基斯坦的艺术家及儿童文学作家，她伙拍年青建筑师Faiza Moatasim及德国学生 Katrin Becker来完成公园的设计与建筑。 想起是要挑动的，所以…… interview by PingLing Cheung  photos by Fauzia Minallah  FM：Fauzia Minallah       a:artech a:what are the reasons that you want to design a park for the blind children? FM：After some volunteer work at the Almaktoom Center for the Visually Impaired children in Islamabad and after knowing some blind children some of my own pre conceived ideas about blind people changed. I found them as capable as any other child. They need physical activities like any other child. In Pakistan they are mostly confined indoors, many Pakistani families do not take their special children in public. Even if they get a chance of going to a public public park they get pushed and shoved, as children in parks are very excited and very few are careful with special children . While it is relatively easier to play in public parks by children who have hearing impairment but for a blind child public parks are very dangerous places. Almaktoom already had a couple of swings and a merry go round but I wanted a full fledged mini park for them, I was lucky some friends wanted to donate their money to a project of building a play area for blind children and the director of the school was also very supportive so the idea of Amai Park was conceived. The Capital Development Authority donated one of the play stations with slides/monkey bar etc that they install in public parks. a:How many of that kind of parks you did? FM：This is the only one so far. a:What is the difficulties doing such park? FM：Making it a place that children without sight can enjoy as well it should be safe for them. a:Should you tell us more about the techniques of making a park for the blind? FM：I am not a very technical person so I can only give a designer's perspective. More then techniques what important to develop something out of love for these children and give them a space they will enjoy. It should be an enriching experience for blind children as far as the sense of smell, touch and sound are concerned. For smell I planted herbs such as basil and mint.  I have personally not added any flowers or foreign grass that needs lots of water or are difficult to maintain. There were already banana trees, apple and apricot trees. children can feel the leaves and find their differences, so we kept them. Sadly the main big tree that we called the singing tree around which I had designed a sitting area for the children have died due to wood worms so I will plant another tree in its place.Trees are very important here and children are encouraged to touch and feel the leaves of different fruit trees. When 6 year old Asma touched the leaves of banana trees she said 'oh these are giant leaves'. We have not used any expensive grass so as not to waste water, children are encouraged to respect nature. In autumn all the leaves from the trees are collected and children have great fun walking and jumping on dried leaves. To ensure extra safety all the slides have higher railings. There are bells of different sizes and even jingly decorations from truck art give different sounds which make their experience great fun.  A young architect Faiza Moatassim had specially design ceramic tiles with the ABC written in braille.. It displays children's paintings. Children with low vision painted the flowers while those who are totally blind painted with the aid of stencils. We used very bright colours with the spirit that, 'so what !! if they cant see we want to give them the brightest colours'. 15 year old Komal said something so beautiful that, ' I painted colourful flowers because this is how I want my world to be'. Water fountains are very important for gardens for blind children. Its feel is very soothing and as you know how much children love playing with water. The sound of water is also very therapeutic. Initially I had a small fountain for the children. Blind children are extremely enthusiastic about exploring everything with their hands. The fountaian was operated by electricity and they were very inquisitive to explore how it works. I had to remove the fountain because I was afraid they dont get an electric shock. Now we only have a big cement bowl which fills with rain water. The water is then used to  water the plants later. There is also sandpit, wind chimes, herbs and fragrant plants, the facility has all those features that will give an experience based on senses of sound, touch and smell. This park is named after Amai, the magical bird of peace a cartoon character I designed for children and which I have used in my books for children. Amai means 'mother' in some parts of Balochistan.  Amai loves children like a mother and we tried to make this park as comfortable and cozy as a lap of mother. a:Is it popular in your country having parks for the blind children? FM：Although there is a big park already developed for special people in the F 9 park, by the Ministry of Special Education and the Capital Development Authority, but there the play area is for normal kids. Amai Park 's  play area is the first of its kind in Pakistan , where every effort is made to make it a fun place for the visually challenged children. a:Share with us what your feel when seeing the children playing in the Park you design for them? FM：Watching these children go up and down the monkey bar just like any other child fills my heart with joy. There were children who were afraid of going down the slide because they had never used it before but now watching them enjoy it is just a very happy feeling. Amai Park is not a very big project neither does it cost alot of money but I am happy that it is a place that the school can use to entertain these children. but I must confess I feel very sad when an accident happens. There have been two incidents that the children were hit by a swing. So now I have the seats of the swings extra padded with sponge. a:Tell us more about your team members, some of them are blind? FM：Without the financial help of Dr Anwar Dil, Bilquis Nasrum-Minallah, Syed Ahsanullah Qureshi, Humaira Masihuddin and Sohail Altaf President Parent Teacher Association,  the construction of park would have not been possible. The Capital Development Authority provided us with a big playstation. Architect Faiza Moatasimhelped in designing the park and made special Braille tiles which we have used in the designing. Katrin Becker a young student from Germany helped in painting the  . play area and helped in painting mural with children. The blind teachers from Almaktoom helped us in learning braille ourselves and then applying it on the braille tiles etc. The director of Almaktoom Robina Anjum was very supportive and most of all the children were our biggest advisors. a:How can you understand about the feeling of being blind? FM：People can be so insensitive sometimes blind. I am always impressed to see them walking in a group. These children give me a lesson in humanity. The one who has just a little vision is always leading those who are totally blind. I have almost always seen them helping each other, even those as young as 5. It is very sad that most of the blind children come from poor families. Sometimes three siblings from the same family are blind. It is very painful for these families. Blind children need to be treated as regular children but some families feel ashamed of them and dont take them out in the public other's feel that they have blind children because God  has punished them for some sins. So these children grow up with an inferiority complex. There are ofcourse some exceptions for examble a remarkable blind woman Saima Ammar who established the Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness (PFFB) or a young Pakistani blind student who is presently at the Harvard University in the US. They are exceptions because they came from priveledged backgrounds and they recieved better schooling and had better opprtunities in developing their personalities. For a large number of blind children the reality is very painful as most of them  come from poor backgrounds. a:What are the suggestions for Government about the facilities on blind children? FM：Compared to many government institutions Almaktoom is doing a pretty good job as far as providing education for blind children is concerned. Although one wishes the teachers were more well equipped and trained in dealing with blind children on the whole it is a blessing for these children who would never have had an opportunity of education.They have a bus service that picks children from far off areas of Islamabad and Pindi. They have special computer lab as well as a braille printing press. So this institute is doing pretty well so far but with economic crisis it will be devastating if there is decrease in funding. My suggestion for the government would be to improve further institutions for special children rather than cutting down its funding. a:Could you write us about your life as a designer, it is a very broad question, may be you can write us some unforgettable of your experiences, not just as a designer.13.If you don't mind write something about yourself let Chinese readers know you more. FM：It is difficult to write about myself but I can quote from my website www.fauziaminallah.com it explains my work : Although I was referred to as an “artist” early in life, I cannot claim to be one. The work I do is inspired by the whole range of cultural influences I have experienced. I find inspiration in the ancient slate cemetries of my parents hometown in Sirikot, Hazara in the North Western part of Pakistan .The folk art 'chitarkari' or slate carving as well as wood carving of Kalash and Kohistan have been sources of inspiration too. I am greatly indebted to the artists and craftsmen of history and it is of the greatest importance to me that my work should help transmit appreciation for their work and its continuation. This is especially the case in an increasingly commercialized art world where artistic talent needs to be sustained by sharp marketing skills and business sense. Moved by aspects of our culture which are fast disappearing, I have painted or carved without a view to the market. The time that needs to be spent on negotiation I have spent working on art projects with children, and for the conservation of traditional skills and natural beauty. These activities I take as seriously as my creative work. I love art and even more now that I see it vanishing in much of Pakistan –both the art of galleries in some parts of Pakistan and the splendid art of nature. For me art is not only man made found in galleries and museums, but also out there in nature. Most of my time is dedicated in sharing my art with children. Whether it is through organising art workshops or by illustrating and writing picture books and giving them free of cost to children in 'difficult circumstances', through my organisation Funkor Childart Center. Awards  1985 – 86 for best editorial cartoonist -Winner of All Pakistan Newspaper Society Award(the first award winning female political cartoonist of Pakistan) Winner of National Book Foundation Award 2003 for promotion of children’s literature. The team of "Sadako's Prayer Project', a book written and illustrated by Fauzia Minallah was the winner of Hiroshima Citizen's Award in 2007. Short listed for the Bremen Peace award 2009(One of the nominated projects and organizations, which are exemplary in their work for peace, justice and integrity of creation. For democratizing art education and making it accessible to kids from low-income families, so that they too can playfully discover their own creativity) Iqra - Read (A Prayer for the Girls of Afghanistan and Pakistan) was winner of third prize at the My Hero Project short film festival 2009. This film promotes the education of the girl child in Afghanistan and Pakistan through Mural Art. Winner of 'Special Hero award' at the My Hero Project short film festival 2009. Winner of the Ron Kovic Peace prize 2010 at the My Hero Project short film festival 2010.

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