Pulp Art Making: A Tool for Promoting Recycling through Hand Papermaking for Effective Curriculum Delivery in Art

Abstract

Recycling to produce new products out of waste materials is not a regular feature of school art programmes in Ghana. A previous quasi-experimental recycling project revealed the possibility of using pulp waste fabrics and paper mulberry fibre to produce good quality art paper suitable for teaching and learning of drawing, painting, stitching, colour work, and book binding. This article reports on the follow up workshop aimed at introducing 15 art teachers in Kumasi to pulp art making to support effective delivery of the Creative Arts, Basic Design and Technology, and Visual Arts curricula followed in Primary, Junior High and Senior High Schools respectively. Besides learning to produce papers, the teachers tested the suitability of the produced papers using colour pencil, pastel, poster colour, watercolour, oil and acrylic paints. They also learned to sew sheets of the produced papers together into miniature books to teach calligraphy and encourage development of good handwriting skills among their students. This one-day hands-on workshop generated sufficient interest to motivate four participants to successfully replicate the workshop in their respective schools.