Energy M.E.L.T.S.
Education Program
Throughout 2022
Rib’s educational program was initiated in 2019. Rib aims to be accessible to neighborhood children by translating the themes and concerns of its program into youth-focused workshops, meanwhile acknowledging Rib’s function as an art space within a specific and situated environment. This long-term commitment to young people offers new perspectives on what art education can be.
Current Program
The current educational program Energy M.E.L.T.S. was commissioned for implementation during The Last Terminal: Reflections on the Coming Apocalypse, and focused on the fundamentals of energy – how we define energy and how it impacts daily life. It was carried out by Rib’s educational partner Maud Berden, and designed by artist Mathew Kneebone in collaboration with Bay Area elementary school teacher Jason Polastri. Polastri helped them design the blackout program using contingency strategies aligned with United States elementary learning standards.
Exploring themes of energy, infrastructure, and blackouts, primary school students in Charlois will adopt improvised activities devised by Californian school teachers and students who have suddenly lost power during class. These include diagramming definitions of energy, field trips to map electrical infrastructure in the neighborhood, crafting makeshift lanterns for when Rib experiences a blackout, and prototyping survival electronics with Varia.
