School Entrance Design Project with Thekra Jaziri

At the end of November the student of the Secondary School under the Head of of the art teacher Antonia Gadzo used the free days of the National Day-Holidays, in order to arrange the entrance hall of the school colorfully.

The basis was the newly adopted mission statement of the German International School Dubai with its six pillars. This is only reflected on the pillars in the main entrance.

The idea to display the six mission statement pillars as a work of art in the entrance hall was born due to the numerous feedbacks from parents on this topic at the World Café in October. As a result, principal Michael Lummel commissioned DISD art teacher Antonia Gadzo to artistically implement the mission statement in the school's main foyer.

The aim was to bring the curved walls and the column in the entrance area to life by means of colors and shapes. The images were to reflect the ideas of student on the mission statement with its six pillars and on Dubai.

The prerequisite was that we realize a professional work of art without an expiration date and that the current secondary school students are involved in the projectstudent .

For this the DISD could win the artist Thekra Jaziri for a workshop. She is a German graffiti artist with Tunisian roots. One of her most famous projects is the Hafeninsel in Offenbach. Thekra Jaziri is very experienced in working with children and young people and has already carried out many projects and workshops with schools. (Instagram: @jazirkus | Facebook: Jazirkus)

In preparation for the project, Ms. Gadzo collected concrete ideas from the students in art class student in the form of sketches and keywords. These were then translated into designs for the wall surfaces by the artist Thekra Jaziri.

These were then brought Gadzo by means of outlines on the wall and then painted. Many students student, but also teacher colleagues and parents took the opportunity to help paint in the project. By involving as many students as possible, it was possible to create a high level of identification with the school and contribute to the fact that the young learners enjoy coming to school and are proud of their school.

For the realization of the project we found strong partners. The company CAPAROL sponsored the wall paint CapaCare Supreme. This is an environmentally friendly paint that is healthy, safe and completely odorless. It is also washable, making it particularly suitable for schools and kindergartens. CAPAROL also provided the final sealant to protect the artwork from the rigors of everyday school life.

The Lufthansa company sponsored the wall leading to Secondary School , which shows typical Dubai elements. School sponsor DHL took over two of the pillars - the one for "Excellent teaching in a learning school" and the one for "Excellent learning environment".

Commerzbank is the sponsor for the pillar "Value-oriented community", BASF has taken on the pillar "MINT excellence", the Goethe-Institut the pillar for "Multilingualism with German core competence" and Caparol is the sponsor for "student as an individual".

Principal Lummel, who initiated the project, is thrilled with the results: "I am delighted that we have already been able to implement the wish expressed by student and parents in the Mission Statement World Cafés for a colorful and lively school building design with a great workshop with graffiti artist Thekra Jaziri and secondary school students. This is just the beginning of further art projects in which the elementary school students and kindergarten children will also be allowed to wield their paintbrushes."

Ava Kurkcuoglu, a DISD mother who brought her daughters to the school to help paint, also expressed her enthusiasm: "When I entered the school, I was amazed at how beautifully the artwork simultaneously stands out and yet also harmonizes with the themes of the German International School Dubai. The design of each column is unique, yet cohesive with the adjacent columns. The paint itself is surprisingly odorless and features an array of natural pigments that are both relaxing and captivating. Well done to the artist, and the school's leaders for this amazing project! Our school feels personal, inviting, and unique!"