“A House of Art and Love”
By Petra and Hans Lier
Thursday, February 9
Ten years ago, Elisabeth Gast founded the Elisabeth Gast Foundation in Baldham, Germany, hoping to use art to help disadvantaged children and youth. Today, that organization is hard at work in Georgia, employing young Georgian artists to reach out to kids in need.
Recently, the Iberisi choir, directed by Davit Kintsurashvili, performed in the Mary Queen of Baldham church to mark the tenth anniversary of the Foundation, and to raise money for projects in Georgia. With its songs, the choir gave an overview of Georgian history, presenting both ancient and contemporary works, including those composed by the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II. Much to the delight of the audience, they performed "Chakrulo", a song designated by UNESCO as a unique part of world cultural heritage.
Gast herself was very happy with the performance. “Our charity concert really was a great moment of music. And with their generous donations, the visitors enable us to go ahead with further projects in Quedeli and Rustavi. This is a day of great joy for the children, the artists and for me,” she said.
Through attention and affection, the “house of art and love” – as Gast calls her organization – wants to encourage children with problems to find self-confidence, social integration, and creativity. She is convinced that art and music projects are the best means to achieve these goals. Goethe's assertion that, “even in the moment of greatest happiness and greatest misery we need the artist,” has become the Foundation's motto.
Her artists work with orphans, street children, and the disabled, often in refugee camps. The children’s gratefulness and zeal have proven the positive effect art can have on their self-development.
The Foundation also trains educational therapists and music teachers. The organization uses German composer and music educator Carl Orff's influential methods of teaching.
Occasionally, the Foundation will selectively support individual children by paying for their education. Thus, Salome Muruszdze, who cares for her paralysed mother, could start nurses' training thanks to grants made by the Foundation. Or Levan Chakhaia, from an orphanage in Kojori, who got the chance to study law and is now in his third term. In the refugee camp of Tserovani and the rehabilitation centre of Gldani, artists and children even produce furniture for their school and items for a playground.