Drawing Hope (SEN friendly version)

This set of three lessons invite children and young people to explore empathy, identity, peace and belonging. They lead to children creating a simple self
self-portrait and a message of friendship to “a friend I haven’t met yet".

The lessons link to a trans-local project known as ‘Drawing Hope’ which began in South Korea where during the cold war children in South Korea were encouraged to draw pictures of North Korean children as devils. South Korean organisation ‘Okedongmu’ sought change and started asking children to draw a self portrait and a message of greeting to a ‘friend I have not met yet’ in North Korea. Following an exhibition of these artworks, the initiative facilitated a historic visit of South Korean children to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Since then, the project has grown internationally, with children from around the world contributing portraits that have been displayed in places including Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the UN Headquarters in New York. These exhibitions invite children and adults alike to rethink the social, political, and economic lines that divide us.

These resources are also available for other age groups and also in Welsh. Please search for ‘Drawing Hope’ to find the resources most suitable for your setting.