KUCHING – Playful and happy cartoon characters in vibrant colours now greet children each morning as they arrive at PERKATA Special School to begin their day.
The animated characters, painted on the walls around the Jalan Ong Tiang Swee special needs school, were the work of a group of design students from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.
The children attending the school are from intellectually disabled groups, including those with Down’s syndrome, autism, hearing or speech impairment, behavioural problems and those physically challenged.
Its principal, Doreen Tie, was appreciative of the students’ contribution.
“Thank you for the beautiful and creative artwork which has brightened up the school,” she said.
The lecturer overseeing the project, Helena Goh, said that besides contributing to the community the murals were aimed at creating awareness among youths on the importance of graphics in special needs education.
“The project gave the students the opportunity to practice and apply their skills to re-create actual human proportion on walls,” said Goh, adding that the graphic and multimedia students were actively engaged in the project, from brainstorming of ideas to the completion of the murals.
The students, in their second year and final year of their studies, took three weeks to complete the three-themed compositions around the school, each reflecting the function and use of the area.
Swinburne Sarawak’s faculty of design had partnered with Events Horizon for the mural project. The local events management company was the main coordinator and had sourced sponsorships for the materials required.
Swinburne Sarawak will officially hand over the murals to PERKATA Special School in mid-March.
The project is part of the Australian university branch campus’ curriculum in training its students for real world engagement with industry and the community. A high percentage of its business, computing, design, engineering and science courses require a high level of theoretical and practical knowledge.