Creative Workshops

Empowerment & Expression through Creative Education

Since 2019 qualified volunteers, creative educators and artists have been delivering creative workshops  at Desert Voicebox  several times a year.  These workshops, ranging from 2 to 4 weeks long, have become an integral part of our after-school programme,  aiming  to enrich and broaden the children's horizons by exposing them to new ways of creatively thinking and expressing themselves while also fostering self-confidence and problem-solving skills.

Being able to bring colour and excitement into the lives of children, who normally  have very limited possibilities to express themselves creatively, is a real source of joy. These workshop experiences are also highly valued by the refugee community, who see how they motivate the children to learn and ignite new interests and ambitions.

If you have a passion and a creative talent and like to work with children, we stromgly encourage you to get in touch to get involved and contribute.  Read on about our most recent creative workshop and to find out  about our past creative workshops.

Future Workshop Goals

  • Mission:
    High level of music skills and ability to use music as a creative outlet.

    Desired Workshops:

    • Improved piano, ukelele, and flute skills (or new instrument)

    • Choral skills and chorus leader training

    • Song-writing

  • Mission:
    Learn to creatively express their emotions and tell their story, and to tap into their environment as a resource and source of inspiration.

    Desired Workshops:

    • Learning how to problem-solve through creative techniques (Eg. waste management, growing food with scarce water) 

    • Public performance (Theatre, Poetry, Music, Choir, etc.)

    • Visual Arts (Photography, Street Art, Portraiture, etc.)

  • Mission:
    High level conversational skills and self-confidence in using English; effective pedagogical skills in our teachers.

    Desired Workshops:

    For teachers: 

    • Podcast training

    • Pedagogical training in effective ESL skills, improving speaking confidence, behaviour management and teaching to students with different learning needs

    For students: 

    • Storytelling skills 

    • Accessing English language digital tools and resources

Saharawi man playing a small, decorated Tidinit instrument with musical notes and Arabic writing on it.

The pinata workshop was a favorite among both our students and staff

Creative Workshop in Focus:

Two Months on the Ground with Marta Capa

Dates: January 9th to March 4th 2026 (7 weeks)
Leader: Marta Capa
Description: Marta’s unique philosophy came to life through a series of extraordinary workshops that blended environmental awareness, creativity, teamwork, and English language learning into unforgettable experiences for the students at Desert Voicebox.

Drawing inspiration from using found objects and discarded materials: or what we would consider to be trash, Marta lead over 12 different creative workshops across our grade levels and spanning diverse mediums.

From visual arts to constructive play, not a moment went to waste.

Explore Marta's Philosophy and Workshops
Explore Marta's Philosophy and Workshops

Past Creative Workshops

  • A group of five people, four women and one man, sitting around a table with audio equipment, listening to and recording audio. Two women are wearing headphones, and one is wearing a hijab and glasses. The man has gray hair and a beard. One woman is looking at her phone, and the others are focused on the audio setup.

    Podcast Recording

    Date: February 2025
    Leader: Mohammed “Momo” Absi
    Description: Momo installed a mini-recording studio and trained five DV staff to record their own podcasts. Plans are underway to train Level 4 students to lead episodes and record stories in English.
    Biggest Takeaway: This introduced a powerful, new way to preserve Saharawi history and cultural memory while empowering youth to develop communication and language skills.

  • Music is Everywhere

    Date: January 2025
    Leader: Anastasia Oleinik
    Description: Music is intertwined into our everyday lives and the children were inspired to see music and art as playful and powerful forms of self-expression. They analysed the different layers of songs to learn about mood, storytelling, and pitch. Using GarageBand, they changed the rhythm and speed of songs to make different emotional tone. They also went “sound hunting” to record and mix everyday sounds in their environment. They also worked on song-writing skills inspired by images they were shown. Biggest Takeaway:
    Students responded very well to learning-by-doing approach and were very intuitive in interpreting emotions and concepts in music they listened to. What they enjoyed most out of all the workshop activities was making music using their natural surroundings.

  • Five children smiling and holding a collage of various images, including animals, landscapes, and people, inside a classroom with colorful walls.

    “We Are the Future” Collage-Making

    Date: May 2022
    Leader: Anastasia Oleinik
    Description: Over two weeks, Anastasia guided children in creative collage-making, encouraging personal expression through visual storytelling. Together they painted a tree mural inside the classroom and explored analog photography, learning how to frame shots and think about location to bring their vision to life.
    Biggest Takeaway: This workshop allowed students to engage with collaborative artmaking and helped them see their classroom as a place of inspiration and self-expression.

  • Photography

    Date: May 2023
    Leader: Anastasia Oleinik
    Description: Anastasia introduced analog photography to the students, focusing on emotional storytelling through imagery. Students worked on interpreting photos, explored composition and light, and experimented with sun printing.
    Biggest Takeaway: The hands-on approach expanded their creative capacity while teaching valuable visual literacy skills.

  • Two young girls smiling outdoors, one holding a camera to her face, against a clear blue sky and a sandy, open area.

    Filmmaking and Songwriting

    Date: January 2024
    Leader: Anastasia Oleinik
    Description: Anastasia helped students write and produce their first original song using collaborative lyric writing, emotion mapping, and music direction. The project culminated in the music video "Zombies in the Air", created alongside local musician Mahmud Bara and performed at a camp concert.
    Biggest Takeaway: This workshop empowered students to see themselves as creators, building confidence and teamwork through artistic collaboration.

  • A young man speaking and gesturing with his hand during an outdoor event, surrounded by children and adults who are watching and taking photos.

    Rapping and Performance

    Date: October–November 2024
    Leader: Yeslum “Hijo del Desierto”
    Description: Spanish-Saharawi rapper Yeslum taught rhythm, breath control, and performance skills to children preparing a rap version of “Zombie in the Air” for a local festival.
    Biggest Takeaway: Students connected deeply with rap as a genre, especially boys who showed new levels of enthusiasm and engagement. The workshop ignited long-lasting interest in lyrical performance.

  • A young girl is sitting on a hanging circus hoop held by a woman. The girl appears joyful, and the woman is smiling while supporting her. In the background, a boy is sitting against a wall, watching.

    Circus and Acrobatics

    Date: February 2025
    Leader: Anna Legrand
    Description: Anna introduced acrobatics, clowning, hooping, and circus arts, combining physical movement with emotional expression. Students explored performance and body empowerment in an inclusive, energetic space.
    Biggest Takeaway: The physical nature of the activities allowed both boys and girls to participate equally, boosting their confidence and sense of joy.

  • Two children lying on a green carpet, working on a poster titled 'Harmony' that includes a drawing of people, a musical staff, and colorful paper decorations.

    Singing and Oral Skills

    Date: January 2020
    Leader: Georgia Lomax
    Description: Georgia used games, clapping, and group activities to develop students’ sense of pitch, rhythm, and vocal confidence.
    Biggest Takeaway: Students showed clear progress in their musical awareness and performance confidence.

  • Children sitting in a circle on a green carpet, observing a woman playing with small wooden xylophones arranged in a line.

    Stave House & Chime Bars Training

    Date: 2019
    Leaders: Andrada and Florin Paseu
    Description: The duo introduced ensemble playing with chime bars, incorporating concepts like triplets and rhythm exercises into the Stave House curriculum.
    Biggest Takeaway: The integration of instruments into music theory teaching created a more tangible, multi-sensory learning experience that continues to benefit the programme today.

  • A child is drawing a labeled human figure on a piece of paper at a pink Minnie Mouse-themed table, surrounded by colored pens and art supplies.

    Creative English Expression

    Date: March 2023
    Leaders: Janina and Joanna
    Description: Through interactive games, pen-pal videos, and environmental discussions, Janina and Joanna helped students express themselves in English creatively and critically. They also supported the teachers with fresh approaches to engaging children.
    Biggest Takeaway: Students grew more confident in using English creatively; teachers appreciated seeing new games and techniques in action.