In a successful attempt to put a smile on the faces of kids at Al Nas Hospital, a charitable campaign called “What’s On Your Mind” was organized by Aranzad Hub, in collaboration with Gyptian and Art Cafe Egypt.
Coloring Kit
Very simply, this colorful campaign designed a special children’s coloring book for the kids at Al Nas Hospital. 14 Egyptian artists got together to create pictures that Gyptian, a platform that showcases photography and art, put together in the form of a coloring book.
But of course no art set is complete without some coloring kits, which Art Cafe graciously provided the children with.
As Aranzad said, this coloring book gives each child a voice to express their emotions and answer the question: ‘what’s on your mind?, as they color original drawings.
Everyone’s favourite star this Ramadan Asser Yassin was a part of the campaign’s face as he was shown in a video on Aranzad’s Instagram page. Yassin said that the current conditions in the world inspired them to create this coloring book for kids where a lot of talented, special artists participated in designing it.
For children who deserve to be happy and enjoying the life ahead of them, this initiative aims to support their psychological wellbeing and mental health. Many researchers and scientists view art, drawing and coloring as necessary in physical health treatment because it keeps patients happy.
And this is exactly what Aranzad, a part of the Influence Communications group, wants to do. During COVID-19, less people are able to visit hospitals thus these children are, more or less alone on lockdown too.
Artwork
A huge part of enjoying their coloring books is also for the kids to get to see their work on display. Hence, the hospital will hang their work in the hallways to bring color into the vicinity. Another initiative that seeped its way through was ‘Kids to Kids’ by Art Cafe Egypt where the art teaching center donated artwork done by some of their students to be hung on the hospital’s walls too.
Coloring generally helps decrease stress and anxiety. According to Beaumont website, “coloring requires you to focus, but not so much that it’s stressful. It opens up your frontal lobe, which controls organizing and problem solving, and allows you to put everything else aside and live in the moment.”
Meet the team behind the initiative
For a start, Aranzad is a creative Hub for Egyptian artists and creative storytellers. Hence, mixing art and social causes/ initiatives is something close to their hearts. It is a part of Influence Communications, a full Marketing Communications Consultancy that was established in 2007. Fast forward to today and in these current conditions, they are providing necessary hospital supplies in various governorates.
Gyptian is a platform for art and culture, showcasing artwork by Egyptian artists through exhibitions and events. Essentially, COVID-19 is no time for exhibitions and events (unless virtual and digital), hence it was time to think outside the box when they collaborated with Aranzad to produce the coloring book.
Last but not least, Art Cafe Egypt is a well-known art school that gives classes in almost anything you can think of from photography to candle making to painting (all kinds of it) and so much more. The classes are divided into fine arts and applied arts, and into kids and adults. Hence, with a specialty in kid’s art classes, they knew just what to include in those coloring kits for Al Nas Hospital.
