Vocational School of Justice
FESTIVE FELT WORKSHOP
As the year draws to a close, people get festive about new year. Youth with Down syndrome made their own felt ornaments for New Year at the Felt Workshop co-organized by Department of Fashion and Textile Design, Faculty of Arts and Design, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), and Child Development Program of IUE Vocational School of Health Services in collaboration with Izmir Down Syndrome Association. The ornaments included pine trees, necklaces, baskets, gingerbread men, etc. The ornaments are on sale at the ‘İyilik Atölyesi’ (Down Cafe) located at Mavibahçe Shopping Mall.
Prof. Dr. Elvan Özkavruk Adanır, Head of IUE Department of Fashion and Textile Design, reported that they planned the event for the upcoming New Year so that youth with Down syndrome could prepare ornaments easily. The Professor said, “We chose green and red colours mainly to represent the New Year. We designed easy to do ornaments. We took great pleasure in working with such a special group. They used their creativity and made felt necklaces and bracelets”.
‘Socializing and producing bring happiness’
Ezgi Oral, Lecturer at IUE Vocational School of Health Services, stated that youth with Down syndrome needed to socialize and produce, and the workshop event had been very helpful in that regard. Oral said, “They enjoyed creating, producing something new. They started to sell their products at the Cafe”. The Head of the Association, Gülnaz Rodoplu stated that the happiness of their children made the parents very proud.