Creating a 'Me' Quilt



Objective(s) & Context

1. Get to know ourselves better.

2. Learn about our positive self-perceptions.

 

The popular media is disproportionately saturated with homogenous and stereotypical depictions of girls, young women and women. With this activity girls draw in real success, grounded in their own lives, as defined by them – challenging expectations of girls as portrayed by popular media.

 

Duration

45–60 minutes

 

Group Size

15–25

 

Age Group

13 +

 

Skills

Communication, Creativity

 

Format(s) & Technique(s)

Arts-based, individual, small groups

 

Materials

What the participants bring from home

Coloured paper squares

Large Bristol board

Art supplies (glue, markers, string, star stickers, scissors, etc.)

 

Facilitation Tips

  • Ask the girls to come prepared with material from home, such as photos, certificates of achievements, drawings, poetry, and other documents symbolic of their experiences.

  • If it’s helpful, prepare a flip chart in advance to illustrate the activity and hang it on the wall.

  • Take about 30 minutes to do Part 1 of the activity, and 15 minutes for Part 2.

 

Popular Education Prompts

  • It is preferable that girls bring images from home, so girls create their own images that are grounded in their experiences.

  • Help encourage girls’ personal perception of their strengths from their own point of view. If you are seeing girls mimicking media expectations of their own perceptions of their strengths, encourage the girls to critically think about what they are drawn to in the image, what it means for them etc.

  • Be careful not to condemn popular culture outright, simply be critical of it where needed.

  • You might ask girls to take action by inviting them sharing their images to wider audience as an alternative to popular portrayals of girls.

 

Leading the Activity: Steps to Take

Part 1: Individual Art Work

  1. Place art supplies on the floor or table.

  2. Ask participants to sit around the art supplies on the floor or table.

  3. Explain to participants that they will create a “Me” Quilt using the things they brought from home andthe art supplies and paper provided.

  4. Explain that each piece of paper can be divided into 4 quadrants. Each piece of paper represents a different part of them.

  5. The Bristol board will be used as the foundation for their “Me” Quilt by gluing the 4 pieces of paper onto it.

  6. Ask the girls to consider the following:

• Qualities and characteristics that make up who I am as an individual (things I tell people about myself)

• My hobbies and talents

• My accomplishments (things that I do well and that I am proud of)

• My values and beliefs (things that are important to me)

 

Part 2: Sharing

  1. Divide the participants into two groups.

  2. Explain that each group will have a chance to display their “Me” Quilts in turn.

  3. Ask Group A to exhibit their “Me” Quilts by leaning them up against the wall or on a chair.

  4. Ask Group B to go around and view the “Me” Quilts of Group A.

  5. Group A participants have a chance to answer questions about their “Me” Quilts as Group B participants go around.

  6. Reverse the roles of each group and do it again.

 

Debrief

Questions to ask the group:

  • What did you learn from doing this activity for yourself?

  • What did you learn when you shared your “Me” Quilt with other girls?

  • What did you learn when other girls shared their “Me” Quilt with you?

 

Success Indicators

  • Participants will be communicating well with each other and sharing their work

  • Participants are more confident about what their offers are