Lovely collaboration for Ukrainian children
The Netherlands | A few weeks ago, we delivered a big donation for art classes for Ukrainian refugee children in Holten. A lovely collaboration that resulted in a small but heartwarming exhibition which had its festive opening on April 12th.
How it started
The children of the Toof, a temporary home for Ukrainian refugees in Holten, receive weekly art lessons arranged by Frederique Zweers. These lessons are taught by Francien in’t Veld , a Dutch artist, and Marina, a Ukrainian girl, and are incredibly important to the children. Not only does it offer them a chance to express themselves and learn more about art, but it also offers a welcome distraction from their hardships.
To teach these classes and to offer the children a chance to experiment with different mediums, you require a lot of materials. So, when Francien attended one of the workshops at our Experience Centre and discovered our foundation, she immediately contacted us. And we are so happy that she did!
The collaboration
Art classes like those at the Toof in Holten match perfectly with our dream to support good creative education for every child so we were more than happy to support these classes with our materials.
With these new materials, they hosted a special lesson about Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko. First, they showed the children a short movie about the artist, in Ukrainian. Then they gave the children a palette with bright colours similar to the works of Prymachenko.
Marina
The classes are taught by Marina Sheveleva, a Ukrainian girl who studied Art back in Ukraine when the war started. Thankfully, she is able to continue her education online and teaches the children in her spare time. Marina is very dedicated to the art classes and the kids adore her!
The exhibition
To celebrate the art of the children and that of Marina, Francien and a couple of others arranged an exhibition. The opening was on April 12th, which just also happened to be Marina’s birthday.
The work of the children was displayed on the windows of pancake restaurant “De Pannenkoekenbakker” in the centre of Holten. Four works of Marina got their own spotlight a little further into the city centre.
The day ended with a delicious pancake dinner at the restaurant where each child also received a small backpack with some art materials for them to take home. All in all it was a beautiful day!
Supported projects
Throughout 2024, the Royal Talens Foundation supported an art program for 158 young people in Cuernavaca, Mexico, run by WereldOuders and their partner organization Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) Mexico. For many of these youngsters who have already faced significant difficulties in their young lives, creative expression has become a vital tool for healing and personal growth.
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The Royal Talens Foundation has donated art materials to support a comprehensive two-year community program in Peru. The initiative, run by WereldOuders and their partner organization Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) Peru, serves 50 families, including 130 children and 150 young adults living in extremely challenging conditions.
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In March 2025, 72 students from IMC Weekendschool in Amsterdam Noord and Zuidoost embarked on a creative journey exploring the theme “The Future of Amsterdammers.” Over four weeks, these 10- to 11-year-olds immersed themselves in the world of visual arts, guided by four contemporary artists and supported by Royal Talens Foundation materials.
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The Royal Talens Foundation has provided art materials to the Palestine Humanitarian Response Centre (PHRC) for their upcoming Children's Hub in Cairo. This initiative aims to offer creative outlets and trauma relief to Palestinian children who have fled Gaza and currently lack access to formal education.
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