Gallery Lane Cove in partnership with Lane Cove Council
Kids and Grandparents Paper Art Workshops
2016

Gallery Lane Cove in partnership with Lane Cove council funded this free holiday workshop introducing the old and young to basic origami cube folding, and facilitated by myself. In the two hour workshops participants successfully drew, folded and created origami cubes which were added to Gallery Lane Cove’s CH² exhibition installation.

Origami is one avenue that provides both mental and physical stimulus with exercise. Origami helps develop hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and mental concentration. Use of the hands directly stimulates areas of the brain. Origami is used in various therapeutic settings, including art therapy and in stroke and injury rehabilitation.

Paper folding challenges us at the cognitive level as we follow instructions, learning new skills and activities. Physically our hands become active. Impulses are sent to the brain activating both left and right hemispheres of the brain. Tactile, motor and visual areas of the brain are activated and brought into use. Memory, non-verbal thinking, attention, 3D comprehension and imagination are further stimulated by the brain’s exploration of Origami.

Emotional satisfaction is a byproduct of our work as we watch a piece of paper transformed into a new creation. Many find the folding of paper, a form of relaxation.