What art shows us
See how art can change hearts, minds – and understanding.
In our Art category, you’ll find illustrations, films, songs, poetry, plays, paintings and other forms of art. They help provide a deeper understanding of people’s experiences of family life. How people are affected and moved, in all sorts of ways, by their personal experiences. How they’re often driven to share their thoughts with spontaneous or carefully choreographed, artistic endeavours. See what art shows us.
Why owls?
You may be wondering about the owls in Two Wishes’ own presentations. Here are a few of the reasons …
1) The issues that we’re addressing – vulnerable children, families under stress – are often too close to us. They’re too difficult for us to be able to look at them with real-world examples. Art presents things indirectly, without people directly involved. Cartoons and even other animals can help us see the issues more clearly, to see the wood for the trees. They help us avoid superimposing our own, personal blinkers;
2) Owls share a number of notable characteristics with humans. They stand relatively upright, on two legs. They have two, forward-facing eyes. A few of them have ears that stick out. And they have a family life where a mum and dad both look after the raising of sometimes small family.
The two parents will even sing duets to each other, each night, to keep in touch. Most famously, for one species, their song is the so-called “twit … twoo”. This lends owls to a degree of anthropomorphism – we give them human characteristics;
3) On a practical note, we’re sensitive about using photos of children and young people for what we create. We avoid linking random children with particular, often sensitive stories. We are sensitive to ethnicity, genders and diversity. And to using random people’s expressions to symbolise the mood of a story.
Owls come in a remarkable range of shapes and sizes. They bring a neutrality of ethnicity, gender, mood and other human characteristics. That means our discussions aren’t dominated as they often can be by these very human issues;
4) And, let’s be frank: owls can be pretty cute! If you’ve any doubt about that, have a quick look here.
We have two owl mascots too, Twit and Twoo, whoo we’ll introduce to you down the line. And whoo, together, will be helping share the Two Wishes message. That message is the importance of looking after the long-term wellbeing of children and their families. Let’s see what art shows us.
