Kherson educational-and-aesthetic complex “School of Art” within the art-project “Open Design of Europe”, innovative cluster “Open design” gave open design lesson “One idea, two idea – will be a tree. The way to tree – the way to art”. The event took part in building of Town gallery of children’s and youthful art “Blue cat” with the assistance of Kherson Regional State Administration, Kherson City Council and Kherson Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The competition of students’ installations “Butterfly – wonderful, various and tender as our planet” and exhibition of children’s works about ecological subject matter took part within the 3rd International Ecological Forum “Clean town. Clean river. Clean planet”, that took place in November. The open design lesson “One idea, two idea – there will be a tree” continued the principle of creative strategy to formation of ecological consciousness and responsibility in younger generation.

The children at the age of 5, schoolchildren and students participated in this open lesson. The competitors were divided into 12 age groups. Each group worked on realization their own special idea in installation “Tree”. Various materials, including paper, threads, fabric, bottle caps and leaves were used in work. The competitors demonstrated fantasy, skills to bring their ideas to other team members and to implement it by common efforts.

In many world cultures a tree is associated with the Universe, life and wisdom. It is universal and versatile symbol of live nature. Friendly atmosphere of open design lesson enabled to look at ordinary things in a different way, to pay attention of youth to necessity to take care of nature. However, the director of Kherson design lyceum Pavlo Slipich said that the main task of open lesson is to give opportunity to children for creative self-expression, as well as to help adult to put a new face on ecological problems. It should be easy and free, as children see it. So, all comers could join the creation of unusual trees. The organizers of lesson – the deputy chief of Kherson RSA Andrey Yatsenko, the deputy mayor Serhey Cherevko and the vice-president of KCCI Tatiana Brykova– helped participants to implement creative intentions.

Each group tried to create the most interesting tree and story about it. The winner wasn’t identified, because each work was individual and unique, and the main goal of this event was to show a creative potential and self-actualization of young designers. These installations completed the exhibition “The Trees”, composed of 200 pictorial and graphic students’ works of educational-and-aesthetic complex “School of Art”, which is exhibited in gallery “Blue cat”.

In Kherson such project took place in format like this for the first time. The organizers plan to create on-line version of this project.