GOTAFE Students Lend a 'Hand' to Healthcare Workers
GOTAFE second year VETDSS Art and Design students are giving back to healthcare workers by participating in the Hand medal Project.
Despite the many challenges and uncertainties COVID-109 has raised, it hasn't stopped the GOTAFE VETDSS students from being creative and achieving great things.
Our second-year Certificate III Art and Design students have commenced work on the 'Hand Medal Project' The Hand Medal Project is a collaborative effort that involves artists and jewellers around the world crafting medals to honour and give thanks to the service and sacrifice of our healthcare workers during this time. You can read more about the Hand Medal Project here.
The project will see the GOTAFE students create hand medals over the next couple of months, which will then be distributed to healthcare workers later this year.
GOTAFE Visual Art & design trainer Jan Donaldson has been leading the project with the students and says this wonderful initiative helps hone the student's design skills while giving them a task with incredible purpose and importance.
With the latest restrictions requiring students to go back to remote learning, GOTAFE trainer Jan has arranged for students to continue working on their projects from hone, providing mentoring virtually to ensure they are able to continue their great work.
""As artists, I thought it was our duty and responsibility to participate and respond to this worthy cause. It's important as artists to have a voice and contribute to our community and culture in this way. The students were really keen to take part in the project and have really embraced this beautiful sentiment. And because they are all handmade, each medal will have individual attributes and character.""
To underscore the unity of this collaborative effort, participants copy a template of the hand, which is meant to be simple enough for all skill levels and is easily replicated with whatever metal is available.
GOTAFE students are using copper, brass and nickel silver to saw a piece for the hand. "You make do with whatever metal you have to say thank you," Jan says.
Fittingly, the many identical hands will create a collective voice, reinforcing the shared gratitude of the project's mission. Infused with the gratitude of the ex-voto and the tribute of a medal, these hands will be collected and given to healthcare workers.
Click here to find out more about the GOTAFE Art and Design Courses.
