KUCHING: During the recent university semester holidays, students from the Swinburne Student Life Volunteering Programme (SLVP) transformed five classroom walls of the Special Education Integration Centre (PPKI) at SJK Chung Hua No 1 with bright and colourful murals.
The murals were officially handed over by Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus Executive Dean of Research (Interim) Professor Ida Fatimawati Adi Badiozaman and Registrar and Director of Student Engagement Swinburne Sarawak Esty Sharkawi to the school’s principal Lee Mui Huat on Feb 11.
The project which helped to enrich and enliven the learning environment at the centre was initiated by the school’s coordinator of PPKI Florence Yiu Tuong Ing whereas Esty was the person-in-charge who proposed the project to the university.
In addition to the murals by SLVP students, Kuching’s talented autistic artist Kelvin Li was invited to contribute one of his paintings to a section of the classroom walls.
“Swinburne Sarawak alumni Peter Yek and Angel Khew were the masterminds of the mural designs. The project kickstarted in early December last year with an introductory workshop held at The Hive Design Studio on campus.
“The session was led by two Design lecturers namely Michael Lee and Jasmine Ng. During the workshop, students learnt techniques relating to mural painting, wall tracing, and colouring,” it said in a press statement.
According to the university’s Student Engagement Office Julie Laing, the project not only served as a community project for SLVP but also as an opportunity to raise awareness and foster meaningful connections with the PPKI community.
The mural project was made possible with the dedication of all parties involved in addition to the sponsorship painting materials by Swinburne Sarawak’s School of Research.
