Basic 9 · Creative Arts and Design · Creativity

Design for Society, Exploring Media and Improvisation

In this topic you will apply creativity and innovation to develop design solutions to social problems, explore media for casting and assemblage and identify approaches to improvisation, harmony and blocking in dance and drama.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Use creativity and innovation to address problems in society
Identify media and techniques for making artworks
Explain improvisation, balance and blocking in performance

What you already know

Creativity and innovation

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Lesson 1

Strand: Design
Sub-strand: Creativity
Indicator: B9.1.3.1.1 – Distinguish between creativity and innovation and their application for developing design solutions to problems in society

Introduction

Look around your community. Every problem you see could be someone's chance to design something better.

1. Design with a Purpose

A good design solves a real problem for real people. This approach is sometimes called human-centred design. It begins with understanding the needs of the people affected, and not with the designer's own taste. A designer watches how people live, asks questions and tests ideas with them. If a farmer needs a better way to store tomatoes, the designer must first learn why tomatoes rot, how they are carried and what the farmer can afford.

2. Problems and Design Solutions

Problems and design solutions

Problem	Possible design	Skills used
plastic waste	bags or bricks from recycled plastic	recycling, craft
poor handwashing	cheap handwashing stations	product design
spoiled vegetables	improved solar dryers	engineering
road accidents	clearer signs and reflective bands	graphic design
low reading levels	colourful local storybooks	illustration
exclusion of the disabled	ramps and tactile signs	architecture

Products made from recycled plastic

Figure 1: Recycled products Sketch a solution to one local problem.

3. Sustainability and Culture

Good design should not create new problems. A sustainable design uses materials and energy with care, and it can be repaired, reused or recycled. It should also respect local culture. A latrine that does not suit local customs will be left unused. A product that requires imported parts may fail when they run out. Using local materials such as bamboo, clay and raffia supports local jobs and reduces costs.

4. Testing Ideas

Before you make a final product, try a simple version and observe people using it. Ask them what works and what does not. Be ready to change your idea. A designer who listens to criticism often produces better results than one who defends every detail.

New words

human-centred design: Designing around people's needs.
sustainable: Able to continue without harm.
need: Something people require.
user: A person a product is designed for.

Summary

Good design solves real problems for real people.
Designers should use sustainable and local materials.
Testing with users improves a design.

Class activity: Problem Hunt

Walk round your school and list problems.
Choose one and interview those affected.
Sketch a solution.

You need: Pencils, Drawing paper, Printed photographs of Ghanaian stools, Baskets

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Good design begins with…
- A. understanding people's needs
- B. choosing bright colours
- C. buying costly tools
- D. copying
Show answer
Answer: understanding people's needsHuman-centred.
2. Which is a sustainable material?
- A. bamboo
- B. non-recyclable plastic
- C. imported marble
- D. lead paint
Show answer
Answer: bambooRenewable.
3. Testing helps to improve a design.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueFeedback.
4. The person a product is designed for is the ______.
Show answer
Answer: userDesign.
5. Give one design solution to plastic waste.
Show answer
Answer: Make bags or bricks from recycled plastic.Example.
6. Why must design respect local culture?
Show answer
Answer: People may reject a product that does not suit how they live.Acceptance.

Lesson 2

Strand: Visual Arts
Sub-strand: Innovation and the Design Process
Indicator: B9.2.1.1.1 – Explore and identify media and techniques used to create visual artworks by casting assemblage and folding

Introduction

A sculptor's first decision is not what to make, but what to make it from. Each material has a personality.

1. Properties of Media

Properties of common media

Material	Strengths	Limits
plaster of Paris	sets fast, takes fine detail	brittle
cement	hard, weather-resistant	heavy
clay	easy to shape	shrinks and can crack
wax	soft, can be carved	melts in heat
wire	bends, holds form	can cut skin
card	light, cheap	damaged by water

2. Tools for Each Technique

For casting, you need a mould, a mixing bowl, a spoon, water and sometimes a releasing agent such as oil or soap, which stops the cast from sticking to the mould. For assemblage, you need glue, wire, pliers, a hammer and strong backing. For folding, you need clean-edged paper, a bone folder or ruler and a flat surface. Tools need to be cleaned after every use, especially when working with plaster and cement, which set hard.

Brass casting at Krofrom in Ghana

Figure 2: Brass casting Compare two materials for a sculpture.

3. Matching Media to Purpose

Choose a medium according to purpose, setting and budget. An outdoor sculpture needs a weatherproof medium, such as cement or metal. A school project may use plaster or card to keep costs low. Consider the message as well. A sculpture made from discarded phones could comment on electronic waste, since the material itself carries meaning. El Anatsui's bottle caps recall trade and drink in West Africa's history.

4. Experimenting

Make small test pieces before you begin a large work. Note how much water plaster needs, how fast it sets and how well it takes detail. Test which glue holds best. Keep your samples in your portfolio with notes. Experimenting saves time and money, and it can lead to surprising effects that you could not have predicted.

Safety: Plaster and cement dust can irritate the lungs and skin. Mix them in an open space, and do not pour leftovers down drains.

New words

medium: The material used in an artwork.
releasing agent: A substance that stops a cast from sticking.
brittle: Easily broken.
test piece: A small trial sample.

Summary

Each medium has strengths and limits.
Choose media according to purpose, setting and budget.
Test pieces help you to learn before making a large work.

Class activity: Material Tests

Test three glues on card and wood.
Record which holds best.
Add your results to your portfolio.

You need: Local clay with calabash mould, Scrap-card assemblage pieces, Brown paper sheets

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which material is brittle?
- A. plaster of Paris
- B. rubber
- C. cloth
- D. rope
Show answer
Answer: plaster of ParisBreaks easily.
2. A releasing agent stops a cast from…
- A. sticking to the mould
- B. drying
- C. melting
- D. shining
Show answer
Answer: sticking to the mouldCasting.
3. Cement suits outdoor sculpture.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueWeatherproof.
4. The material used in an artwork is its ______.
Show answer
Answer: mediumArt term.
5. State two things to consider when choosing a medium.
Show answer
Answer: Purpose and budget, or setting.Any two.
6. How can a material itself carry meaning?
Show answer
Answer: Discarded phones can comment on e-waste, so the choice adds to the message.Concept.

Lesson 3

Strand: Performing Arts (Dance and Drama)
Sub-strand: Media and Techniques
Indicator: B9.2.1.3.8 – Explore and identify the various approaches to improvisation creating harmony/balance and blocking for dance and drama

Introduction

Actors and dancers do not simply walk on stage. Every step and position can be planned, or invented on the spot.

1. Improvisation

Improvisation: Creating actions or dialogue on the spot, without a script.

Improvisation builds confidence and quick thinking. It also helps performers to find new ideas when making a play or dance. To improvise well, listen closely, accept what your partner offers and build on it. If your partner says, "The river has flooded our farm!" you should respond within that situation, not deny it. Dancers improvise by exploring movements in response to music or a theme. African dance and storytelling have long included improvisation, as performers respond to drummers and audiences.

2. Harmony and Balance

In dance and drama, balance means placing performers so that the stage looks steady and interesting. Harmony means that movement, costume, music and mood work together. If everyone stands on one side, the stage looks heavy on that side unless something balances it. An actor who stands high up or at the centre draws attention, while many actors on the sides may provide a balance. Directors use these ideas to guide where the audience looks.

A Ghanaian dance troupe performing

Figure 3: Dance troupe Draw a stage and mark the positions of four actors.

3. Blocking

Blocking: Planning where and how performers move on stage.

Stage areas

Area	Meaning
downstage	nearest the audience
upstage	farthest from the audience
stage right	the actor's right when facing the audience
stage left	the actor's left when facing the audience
centre	the middle of the stage

4. Why Blocking Matters

Blocking helps tell the story, and it keeps actors from blocking one another from view. A character who moves towards the audience seems to grow stronger, and one who moves away may seem weaker. Actors write their moves in a script. In a dance, formations such as circles and lines can be planned with the same care.

New words

improvisation: Creating without a script.
blocking: Planning movement on stage.
downstage: The stage area nearest the audience.
upstage: The stage area farthest from the audience.

Summary

Improvisation builds confidence and generates new ideas.
Balance and harmony make performances pleasing.
Blocking plans movement and guides the audience's attention.

Class activity: Yes, And

One partner starts a scene.
The other accepts it and adds to it.
Continue for two minutes and swap.

You need: Printed stage-layout chart, Blocking-position cards, Atumpan drum

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Creating actions without a script is…
- A. improvisation
- B. blocking
- C. casting
- D. folding
Show answer
Answer: improvisationSpontaneous.
2. Downstage means the area…
- A. nearest the audience
- B. farthest from the audience
- C. behind the curtain
- D. under the stage
Show answer
Answer: nearest the audienceStage.
3. Blocking plans how actors move.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueDirecting.
4. Stage right is the ______ right.
Show answer
Answer: actor'sFacing audience.
5. State one rule of good improvisation.
Show answer
Answer: Accept what your partner offers and build on it.Rule.
6. Why might a director move a character upstage?
Show answer
Answer: To suggest weakness or to change who the audience focuses on.Staging.

Homework

Write a short plan for a scene with five stage movements.