DRIN DAY: Celebrating Children’s Stories, Diversity & Community

We invite you to join DRIN celebratory program on 26 January in Oodi Central Library, Helsinki.

Since 2018, project DRIN – Visions for Children’s Books has attempted to address questions on diversity, representation, inclusion and norm critique in children’s literature. Join us in the celebration of the launch of our new publication and the achievements of the DRIN project during the past years. Together with partners, workshop participants and interested parties, we have managed to build empowering networks, exchange and share information, as well as create materials to raise awareness on diversity, representation and inclusion in children’s books.

In autumn 2022, DRIN organised an international online workshop for emerging BIPOC writers and illustrators. Participants were paired up to work on creating illustrated children’s stories about celebrations together, and the results of this collaborative process will be displayed in the new DRIN publication, and shared in a panel discussion.

During the same period, DRIN organised school visits in Helsinki with Lukukeskus (Finnish Reading Center), where we introduced the themes of DRIN to groups of 9, 11 and 16 year olds. Lukukeskus will be presenting the pedagogical materials based on these school visits at the event.

We invite you to join the celebratory program on 26.1.2023 in Oodi Central Library, Helsinki. The whole event will be in English.

FORENOON

10:30-11:30 Reading for children
A reading session of a collection of stories celebrating the topics of DRIN for 4-6 year olds by artist and reader-mediator, Kemê.

EVENING

17:00-17:30 Presentation of pedagogical materials by Lukukeskus (Finnish Reading Center)

17:30-18:30 Panel discussion on the experiences from the DRIN workshop for writers & illustrators
Panelists: Chantal-Fleur Sandjon, Jasmina El Bouamraoui (EL BOUM), Warda Ahmed, Trilce García, Wende Luvinga-Heinoja
Moderator: Amiirah Salleh-Hoddin

18:30-20:00 Reception with drinks & snacks

The DRIN project is supported by Allianz Foundation.

The topic of the teaching material is diversity. The tasks make it fun to get to know the theme with children and young people. The tasks are divided according to working methods, so you can try drawing, poetry, acting, writing, reflection, or creativity. Tasks can be used in primary school, middle school and second grade. At the beginning there is background information for the teacher and literature tips related to the theme. At the end, you will get information about the DRIN project, which is behind the tasks.