Interview by Rui Pastorin
Children go through a lot as they grow and learn to traverse life. With that in mind, could engaging in more arts-related activities be helpful in their development?
Local artistes Chloe Lao Cho Wa, who serves as creative director of the Ieng Chi Dance Association, and Ivan Au Chi Hang, director of Big Mouse Kids Drama Group, say that it can, giving their opinions on its significance and implications during a recent interview with the Post.
The power of the arts
Au’s group focuses on children’s drama in education, production and youth play, while therapy elements can also be found in their shows, he said, adding they also host workshops for kids and parents. Lao’s group, meanwhile, is focused more on dance, its performance and promotion. They promote dance education through providing training sessions and courses on Chinese dance, ballet, modern dance, jazz dance and contemporary dance, according to their website, having taught students of all ages, including children aged two and up.
While backgrounds are not the same, both have collaborated on different projects and are proponents of the power of arts and how it relates to a child’s development. Lao pointed out: “In different ways, we are also approaching the same direction – we hope to interweave more arts, culture and education to kids’ lives as they grow up”.
Lao highlighted that engaging in the arts is something that could help with individual thinking, courage and confidence, while Au highlighted that it could also help with building psychological resilience.
“I really appreciate that some schools give more artistic experiences to kids”, said Lao, but she also mentioned that as the world continues to change, there is a need to build confidence and courage, as well as learning how to shape one’s own world. Encouraging the further integration of the arts and engaging in it somehow could also be a path towards that, according to Lao.
Au, meanwhile, said he thinks that the development of one’s ability to create, as well as problem solving, are needed to be developed for the future. In some schools, he cited some examples that look towards this and don’t just focus on traditional academic subjects, but integrate activities such as having a “drama play month”, wherein students work together and use their creativity to set up a small drama.
These activities, Au said, could help with developing problem solving, self-expression, creativity and storytelling. As they will also need to do research, their skills in this regard are also improved. “I think if the government wants to push to change this environment, I think it’s a very good way to think about it”, Au said, highlighting its significance.
Raising kids in Macau
Beyond talking about the power of the arts, both Au and Lao highlighted their personal experiences in raising their respective children in Macau.
Chloe highlighted the government’s support and measures provided to Macau’s parents and parents-to-be, noting that she finds herself and her child lucky to be able to receive that support. But one thing that she hopes to see is encouraging civil society to give children more time to play outdoors and in open spaces like playgrounds.
Macau nowadays provides a variety of large parks that children can play in, with Lao highlighting that this is a good development. But providing more choices for activities that incorporate time outside are also important for a child’s healthy development in Macau. This includes hoping for more outdoor field trips by schools and time at playgrounds during the day for more exposure to sunshine, which she deemed important, and even chances for parents and children to play together at playgrounds.
Au, meanwhile, highlighted that, in general, raising a child in Macau is a situation that has both its pros and cons. But among the points he highlighted were the fact that while Macau has many good schools, there is a highly competitive environment within and among them. This puts stress on children, which also extends to their parents.
He also noted that at times, he feels that kids who are considered more talented or gifted are provided with more resources to cultivate them compared to average students or those who have special education needs (SEN). Au, who himself is a parent of an SEN student, highlighted some of the worries that parents in this situation might have, including a child’s future, biases that some students might have against SEN students, and even being accepted into schools or selecting the right ones that will not only cater to an SEN’s student’s basic educational needs, but cultivate their growth per se. “There are many good schools in Macau, but we need to choose carefully in this competitive society”, noting that he is fortunate to have his son in a good one while adding: “We just want to give them a happy school life”.
When his son’s time to go to secondary school approaches, he hopes to find one that will be open to focus on each student’s specific interests, possibilities, finding their talents that will altogether allow them to help them shape their own future rather than just academic competitiveness.
For him, a society that is fair and sees no labels, particularly one that looks for the good in each student, is a hard but necessary step to make it better.
Ieng Chi Dance Association Creative Director Chloe Lao Cho Wa and Big Mouse Kids Drama Group Director Ivan Au Chi Hang pose for a photo at the latter’s studio in Fai Chi Kei district. – Photo taken recently by Rui Pastorin
