ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Goethe-Institut Iraq, a cultural center and German language association, began its first ceramics making workshop on Saturday, introducing new skills and art forms to a diverse group of youngsters.

"This is my first ceramics workshop in Erbil and I would like to continue and give more information about ceramics," host and instructor, Znara Ahmed, told Rudaw English. "I love to make ceramic projects in Erbil because the kids, the parents, and families need activities like this for the kids."

Ahmed, a university graduate from Syria who majored in ceramics worked for Syria's Ministry of Culture before she moved to the Kurdistan Region five years ago.

"I noticed when I came to Erbil, there are not many activities for children or a center to develop their talent," she said.

Although she has done various types of artistic workshops with different organizations in the region, she considers Goethe to be the biggest place to share her love of working with ceramics with children.

There were 15 children chosen for the first class, which will last three days. They initially advertised for children 11-17 years old, but one exception was made after evaluating an eight-year-old girl from Sulaimani because of her artistic ability.

"The control for ceramics, 15 is a good class size," Ahmed said. "If there are more students, I'll need an assistant."

Originally from Syria, Mutaz Abdulrahman has been project coordinator for the Goethe-Institut Irak since 2016.

"In general we focus on cultural issues,” he said. “We're always looking for new things for workshops, especially in Kurdistan and Iraq.

"It's our job to support people here in Kurdistan and Iraq. Our participants come from Syria, from Baghdad, from Kurdistan."

Although this is the first ceramics class to be held at the Goethe-Institut in Erbil, Abdulrahman explained that the center also offers other cultural workshops such as cinema, art, drawing, photography, radio, video and writing, primarily to refugees youth.

"You know in arts and in life in general, people cannot discover themselves if they don't try," he explained. "It's very important to give children a chance to try or to discover a new kind of art, to see if they like it."

The young participants of the class enjoyed learning a new activity and art form while their teacher, Znara, taught step-by-step how to make different items out of clay.

One 16-year-old Kurdish boy from Baghdad, Tuana Soorkeu, said that working with clay was a good way to let your mind relax and figure out "crazy stuff on how to shape objects."

"This program really relieves stress from school," he added.      

His sister, 14-year-old Shana Soorkeu, said working with the crew was great and the project was fun.

"You get to experience new things and go wild with your imagination," she said. 

She hopes to work with ceramics again in the future.

"It was difficult when you first start but just go with the flow and it gets easier when you get into it," Shana Soorkeu said.

Zayab Rebwar, 14, from Erbil said working with ceramics "is really fun and inspires people to make things.”

"It's really nice to craft and build things with clay. It's a nice hobby; I'd like to do more of it in the future."

The youngest participant of the class, Sara Samer, 8, from Sulaimani joined the class because she thought it would be interesting to learn something new.

"It was very fun," she said. "I really enjoy socializing with everyone. Also learning something at the same time and being crafty, so it's a really fun thing.”

The ceramics class will be held over three days, concluding with the students learning to make a clay mask. Once each project is complete, it takes approximately two weeks to be ready to be baked and set.

Following the baking process, the children painted their creations which ranged from pencil holders to vases.

It was free for students to participate and the program was funded by the German non-profit institute.

Photos by author