Darwish’s Garden of Wonders
As the Mahmoud Darwish exhibition unfolds across six sections, the Children’s Division will journey through six reflections of his art, each illuminating a unique part of Darwish’s poetic world.
Saturday 15th November
‘The Butterfly’s Secret’
Inspired by: Darwish’s imagery of nature and transformation
In this session, children listen to a gentle story inspired by Mahmoud Darwish’s appreciation of nature, following a butterfly on a quest to find its favourite colour. Throughout the story, they explore how colours can express different emotions; such as yellow for joy and blue for calm. After the discussion, children participate in an art workshop where they create their own “emotion butterflies” using watercolours or paint, decorating each wing with colours that reflect how they feel or what they love most in nature.
Sunday 16th November
‘My Little Garden of Words’
Inspired by: Darwish’s metaphor of language and growth
In this session, children listen to a story about a child who plants words in the soil and watches them grow into trees and flowers, discovering the power of language to nurture the world. Through discussion, they explore what kind and imaginative words they can “plant” to make the world a more beautiful place. In the accompanying art workshop, children create their own “word gardens” by crafting pipe-cleaner flowers, each decorated with words of kindness or imagination written on them.
Saturday 22nd November
‘The Moon Who Wanted to Paint’
Inspired by: Darwish’s poetic moon imagery
In this session, children listen to a story about the moon who dreams of painting the Earth with light, learning from the stars and clouds along the way. Through discussion, they reflect on what makes the night beautiful and how light can bring comfort and calm. In the art workshop, children use mixed media such as chalk, pastels, and foil paper to create their own “moonlit skies,” expressing imaginative versions of the moon’s artwork across the night.
Sunday 23rd November
‘The River That Dreamed’
Inspired by: Darwish’s themes of journey and water
In this session, children listen to a tale about a small river that dreams of reaching the sea, discovering patience, growth, and wonder along its journey. Through discussion, they explore their own dreams and reflect on how water connects all living things. In the art workshop, children take part in an art-therapeutic activity where they create a river that represents their present thoughts, expressing through colours and movement how they wish for these thoughts to grow and flow as vast and free as the sea.
Saturday 29th November
‘The Tree of Memory’
Inspired by:
Darwish’s gentle reflections on time and belonging.
In this session, children listen to a story about an old tree that remembers everyone who ever sat beneath its shade, cherishing the memories it holds. Through discussion, they share what makes a place, person, or moment special to them. In the art workshop, children create their own “memory tree” by drawing or painting and decorating it with natural elements, filling the branches with symbols of what they love; family, friends, pets, favourite foods, or places that hold special meaning in their hearts.
Sunday 30th November
‘If Clouds Could Speak’
Inspired by: Darwish’s sense of wonder and imagination
In this session, children listen to a poetic story where clouds share stories as they drift across the sky, inspiring wonder and imagination. During the discussion, they imagine what messages the clouds might whisper to the earth below; perhaps to the mountains, rivers, trees, or people. In the art workshop, children create imaginative scenes with “talking clouds” using cotton and paint, writing messages on each cloud to express what it might say to the world it watches from above.
