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Hello, I am Midori Ohara, representative of General Incorporated Association Hoshi-To-Iro. Thank you for finding this project.

We operate "Atelier ShiroiTo" established in May 2022, a daily living care facility for people with disabilities who need physical and emotional support.  We aim to develop their independent and social lives through our  creative active program. It is officially approved from the Osaka Prefectural Government.

 

The office is located in an old private house and our team members.

 

I also run a painting class for the general public, which I have been running for 17 years in Katano City, in Atelier ShiroiTo.

Our crowdfunding project is to create an art event that everyone can get together.   "Atelier ShiroiTo" as a  "daily living care facility” is a place to develop their quality of life through creativity. We would like to ask for your help to cover the costs of activities, event expenses, and the creation of a collection of artworks for this purpose.

 

■There are three projects as follows.

1. Holding an art fair in Hoshida, Katano City, Osaka, Japan
2. Exhibit in the Metaverse space beyond the local area
3. Making an art book as a collection of artworks

■How your support will be used

The target amount of 2 million yen will be used to

 

・Art Event expenses

・Cost of producing an art book　

・Expenses for creating a metaverse　

・Expenses for returned goods　

・commission fee to the crowdfunding company

What is our office, "Atelier ShiroiTo?

There are two roles as a "daily living care facility" and a "painting class rooted in the community”.

What kind of activities does "Atelier ShiroiTo" do?

It is a day-care facility for people with mental and physical disabilities and they do creative activities such as crafting, painting, and crafts during the day. Here is our general time-table.

We occasionally have gardening, cooking, and outing events.

 

Our goal is to keep being a place where members can lead peaceful daily lives through a variety of creative activities.

 

They also prepare for the painting class such as making samples, cleaning the atelier and shopping painting materials. They are paid a "wage" for their work in return.

Any member that they want to is that they can work for their artwork together during the painting class.  This brings them know they support the painting class, and the painting class students learn who prepared for the class. Knowing the behind the scene creates a mutual learning regardless of whether they are able-bodied or physically challenged.

 

Social workers are with us for daily issues, and the staff provides supports in cooperation with doctors and nurses for physical and other concerns.

 

The behind story of Atelier Shiroito

From a community-based painting class to a daily living care business

 

I have met over 100 students nearly two decades running a community-based painting class.  As we didn’t separate students with or without disabilities, sometimes parents who did not have children with disabilities voiced their confusion. I talked with them for our mutual understanding  conveying that I am here to seeing all students for their emotionally stable and creatively motivated.

 

I was looking for the next recipient that would be needed s the students grew up, and two events triggered the idea of a welfare and art care business office; the first one was that I learned about a welfare facility in Osaka that incorporates art, and I worked as an intern there. The second one was the word that Mr. A said.  He was a painting class student who has a disability.

 

He tends to stay at home, but he comes to every painting class. I thought he likes painting and it’s something suites to him.

 

One day, I heard from his mother that he suddenly said he was worried about the future. I was strongly surprised and impressed to hear this.  He had never said anything himself but now he was talking about his future.

 

Internship experience at the welfare facility and the words that Mr. A said were a major event pushing me toward a welfare transition, and I worked hard heading for the launch of "Atelier ShiroiTo," an art lifestyle care facility.

 

I strongly believed in the idea that if we could create an art-oriented welfare center as ways of self-expression, we would be able to support people like Mr. A with physical and mental handicaps during the daytime and help them return to society. One year after, we established the incorporation and nursing care business.

 

WHY did we create a daily living care office specializing in art activities?

Our goal is to "create a place where people with disabilities can live a peaceful life”. This is our mission. Art has the power to make this happen.

 

For example, even if somebody has difficulty going out, they can use their hands and body to draw and color on a piece paper and whatever else they choose to express themselves is respected.

What are cons of “creating arts” that ShiroiTo thinks of?

There are no qualifications for “art”.  It’s for everybody. We all have own expression to create using body.  But we have a trial session for those who worry and feel that "art is too far away" or "I have never painted before.

 

Nao, a board member, is also an artist. Staff members are designers, art school instructors, and other art-savvy talented people. We ask them to let members do their artworks as they like rather than teaching nor providing guidance.

Even though we are new facility in operation, we have seen remarkable things day by day. Members families are happy to report that their children is lively when they return home. One member said that she wants to go to the polls, and she actually did.

 

We are constantly amazed at the events brought about by the accumulation of time spent through creative activities. Mr. Hyodo, another board member who has the longest career of social worker, recalls that he ha d no experience with art, so he had to learn everything by hand at first, but now he can see firsthand the changes in the members.

 

How did the project start?

 

Over 100 artworks have been created by members since May, one of the staff suggested, " What if we hold an annual art event or produce an art book as a collection and archives of works that would be remained in the future?"

 

 It reminded me of the time I went to San Diego, U.S.A. to meet the organizer of an art event for people with disabilities in San Diego, U.S.A., before we launched our corporate business.  I was very impressed by the exhibition and the lively atmosphere there.

Our operation is now still less than six months, and we have been struggling with cash flow.　It seems a long road to achieve the art event project.

Running the art-oriented welfare facility and many works of art are created every day!  But no way to show as we have difficulty in having an art exhibition due to financial difficulties.　So we decided to take on the challenge of this project and call for your cooperation.

 

Why do we challenge the crowdfunding to implement the project?

We aim to create a community and society where people with disabilities can express themselves and to show as many people as possible.

 

Creating such a friendly society together with you will allow us to share the goal of bringing compassion and the significance of diversity to the world.

 

We will use your support (1) to hold the "Community-based Art Event for everybody, for people with or without disabilities blending together through the art” in the Spring, 2023, (2) to publish a collection of artworks to document the event, (3) and to cover the operating expenses of our office until the Art Fair is held.

 

When you see an artwork, you are more interested in "how it was made" and "how they would make it" rather than "who made it".

 

We would like to share with the society the power of art to create a "fair and equitable connection” with no social boundaries.　We also started sharing our project idea with the local merchants.

The vision and objectives

Showing their artworks at art event brings a huge sense of self-affirmation to the members of our facility.

 

Art is a common language, and the audience receives unlimited emotions from the artwork. It is important for our members to aware that there is so many things they can do.

 

The art book as a collective works will be a path to the art fair, as well as a catalogue of the exhibited works, and a valuable resource to continue the fair in the future.

We work together from the preparation stage such as making event posters, flyers, and publicity with local people, too.

We hope that the sharing the idea of having the art event will be the foundation to connect community where art and welfare will blend together in Hoshida.

 

Message from Midori Ohara

Thank you for reading through to the end.  Starting up a daily living care business in May was the greatest challenge of my life ever.  I don’t have particularly outstanding abilities of my own, and many people have been supporting me.

 

Ever since our welfare facility launched, I have received assistance and support from the staff and people around me, and I feel that this cooperation has become one big power that is growing day by day.  There is a word of "harmony," and that is exactly where I am learning the importance of it.

 

We are all different from the others and when we are connected, we make one harmony.

 

I believe working together in harmony will be able to accomplish anything and overcome difficulties. As for this project, so many people and friends have worked from scratch. And, the most important thing is that the ShiroiTo members are always at the heart of the project.

 

We would be more than happy if we could cherish and enjoy them together with you in harmony to achieve the project.

Thank you very much for your support.

 

General Incorporated Association Hoshi-To-Iro.

Atelier ShiroiTo

Representative Director Midori Ohara