Our third visit to the children’s residence that we have collaborated with during the year. Take part in Lisbeth’s reflections!

A Saturday, and we know which young people we will meet, so we know them a little.

This time we enter through the back way via the garden directly into the room where we will be. The room has to be emptied of everything except a mat and some very very large white cubes.

The ladder with the umbrellas and the small lamps. While the strings, cutlery chimes etc. are set up together with the 2 small drawers that are prepared with different materials and objects. A brush rope stretches all the way around.

Inspired by our experience residencies from the development project One Pupil – One World of Impressions we begin quietly with our kalimbas.

Friendly curious smiling glances over the shoulder while our other invited participant excitedly bounces around between us, the kitchen and their own room. In the rush one of the kalimbas goes along and we hear it being played in the other room. Now we bring out something else.

Oh so much happens this time! The pleated lampshade is rolled along the arm, scratched at and then ends up on the head. The soft yarn is pulled apart and drawn back and forth between us in the living room. The children have still not dared to enter our prepared room. The music box plinks its repeated melody while it wanders around and then ends up in the private room.

Come, come into our room, into our world, and see the points of light on the umbrellas, on the rope and feel the hard brush! Play the strings and shake the eggs that are in our secret hiding places!

A vacuum cleaner hose can also be played, rolled and drawn across arm and knee.

Throwing things is fun or pulling the thick rope.

I meet a shining open gaze full of life and curiosity. A hand that twists a rough piece of carpet and lets the sharp surface slide across the arm, again and again. I answer with the same movements without anything in my hand, and the meeting lasts a long, long time. But the meeting with the kalimba and the music box also lasts a long time. Questions and answers, questions and answers, through sounds and rhythm.

A short resetting of the room again. Now there are two people in wheelchairs who slowly make their way in. Two worlds next to each other and yet in a shared world of sounds and movements.

Knock knock tap with different sounds in different places. Now and then the face opens into a smile and the head tilts to the side. Or an arm lifts up and a leg kicks out. The vibration from the string in the wooden egg cup meets a shaking elbow.

Or no not close, but an open gaze that sees, that takes in everything it can. The mirror in the lap dazzles and attracts. A sound from a voice is heard now and then as an addition to the open gaze.

We laugh sometimes. We rattle loudly sometimes. Together anyway, despite differences.

The dark softness of the room settles around us. We are warmed by smiles and the open gaze. All our things are gathered together and carried out to the car. Fine fine encounters and so good that many assistants were present.

Text: Lisbeth Hagerman

Photo: Johan Danielsson