Origami Swans - A Creative Service Project

Posted by Nathan Callope on September 15, 2015

Creative means of expression offer a powerful tool in sharing pieces of ourselves that we find difficult to express verbally. During my first 5 months working with Evoke Therapy Programs at Entrada, I have seen participants communicate their feelings and experiences through drawing, poetry, short stories, and music when a conversational process alone would not suffice.

During a recent shift in the field, I had the opportunity to participate with the students in contributing to a larger creative project outside of Evoke. One of the students wanted to take part in artist Chelsea Thompto’s Origami Swan Project, the goal of which is to bring awareness to and show support for the transgender community. He explained to the group why the project was meaningful to him, how he has encountered firsthand a lack of awareness regarding the transgender community, and taught us all how to make origami swans.

And so, on a sweltering summer afternoon, huddled within the shade beneath a soaring A-frame tarp, a group of teenagers and field instructors folded sheets of crisp white paper into swans. Everyone was eager to participate and folded multiple swans to contribute to the project. Some students made additional swans of their own, personalizing them with drawn-on features. I feel deep admiration for the support and engagement from the group that day, carefully folding paper swans with compassion from the Utah desert.

The swans will become part of Chelsea Thompto’s art installation piece, which will include 30,000 origami swans once completed.

For more information on Chelsea Thompto’s Origami Swan Project, you can click here to visit the website, or click here to go to the Facebook Page.