The dreamcatcher

The history of the Native Americans have always had a great fascination on me, in particular for the mystical and frugal bond they have with the elements of Nature.
In my experience as an educator, I have seen the influence that this Culture also has on children. Although unaware of the compelling correlation between symbolic play and ancestral animism, the children’s deep attraction to this Culture offers them countless opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Borrowing some objects such as bow and arrows, curtains types and jewelry made of teeth or feathers, children teleport with ineffable lightness into the world of imagination turning themselves into hunters, warriors and shamans of an era in which the Magic was law of Nature.

Performance

This workshop can be split into three distinct phases.

1) The Lakota legend
After a brief introduction about the Native American people we will tell, with the help of kamishibai, an ancient Lakota legend about the origin of the dream catcher.

2) The dreamcatcher
In this phase we will introduce the main theme of this workshop by learning what a dreamcatcher is and what is the meaning of this magical net that has the power to fulfill dreams and especially to chase away nightmares.

3) Construction
In this last phase we will finally move on to practice. Using recycled materials (cardboard, wool, feathers, beads, shells and other decorations) we will build a dream catcher all for us that in addition to watching and protecting us in our sleep can always turn into our personal portal on the fantasy world.