The JU Institute of Oriental Studies (Kurdish Studies) takes under its wings a children's workshop entitled: Spas means thank you in Kurdish. The workshop will start on the first day of Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year (on 21 March in Hawlêr (Erbilu)) in Iraqi Kurdistan. Every session will be dedicated to one basic emotion.

The project, a joint initiative of Kinga Korczak (student of pedagogy and Iberian studies), Katarzyna Magryś (psychologist and photographer), Basia Żach (lawyer and graphic designer) and Olga Ślepowrońska (psychologist and traveller), was inspired by love for children and passion for travelling. It all started in autumn 2011 as the project's authors stayed in Kurdistan and became enchanted by the culture of the place. The workshop will be held in the headquarters of the Public Aid Organisation in Kurdistan and will be addressed to 6-14 year old children.

The aim of the project is to talk about emotions and to bring them to light, no matter whether they are positive or negative, as focusing on feelings evokes creativity. The classes feature drum games, creative games, brainstorming, drawing, papier  mache, collage, painting, salt and plastic mass games, sculpting in salt, theatre of shadows, fabric painting, spatial installations and photography.   

 
Understanding and listening to one's own emotions seems to be one of the most important abilities both in children and mature people. In Kurdistan, in order to understand their emotions, people used to tell tales, which were handed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, contemporary times ousted this important cultural element from the public awareness. For this reason, one of the objectives of the project is to reintroduce the tradition of tale-telling and thus to restore a part of Kurdish identity.

Photographs from Kurdistan and more details on the project: www.czujczuj.blogspot.com, e-mail: projekt.czujczuj@gmail.com.