At Platform C, we like to put our teachers in the spotlight. This time it is the turn of Annefie van Itterzon, a passionate and experienced teacher of the Talent Classes. Here children discover the world of art in a creative and playful way. For years Annefie has been enthusiastically introducing children to art and creativity. She knows better than anyone how art can connect and enrich.
Children's drawings around the world
Her base as art teacher and exhibition maker is in Aalsmeer. Before joining Platform C, Annefie started her career as a cultural advisor in Aalsmeer, where she organized many exhibitions and introduced children to art. In the Oude Raadhuis she combined looking and doing: first she discussed works of art with the children, then they got to work themselves. This resulted in hundreds of children's drawings. These drawings also became part of exchange projects with other countries. It started with an exchange with a school in Congo, followed by Japan, Ukraine and Iceland. Eventually this grew into a worldwide project about children's drawings: how do children around the world draw and what can they learn from each other's drawings?
Her passion for children's drawings led her to establish the AMICA Foundation, through which she amassed an impressive collection of children's drawings from around the world. In 2022, she donated this unique collection to the National Cultural Heritage Agency. This collection received wide recognition: the Cobra Museum exhibited a selection of it alongside works by Picasso.
The Talent Class at Platform C
Working at Platform C since 2014, Annefie enjoys the diversity in her classes, where children from different cultural backgrounds come together. "First I collected children's drawings from faraway countries, now all those cultures are just in my classroom," she says. "Amstelveen is very international, which makes it extra interesting."
In her classes, observing and talking about what you see play an important role. She often uses works from her collection, such as a self-portrait of a Ukrainian girl from the 1990s, or has children draw after examples from nature. She also likes to work with stuffed animals, such as a deer, which children can see up close. "Children can then really look closely and even feel for a moment: how are the horns attached? Where are the ears? That helps tremendously when drawing. We start with preliminary studies and then work it out big. Because they learn to look so well, after six months, if you ask them again if they can draw a deer, they can draw it right out of their heads."
Talent class Letter Drawing
One of Annefie's newest initiatives is the talent class 'Letter Drawing'. Here children discover how to create artistic letters and alphabets with fineliners, stencils and ecoline. It is a combination of drawing and graphic design, bringing together technique and creativity. "Sticking two pens together creates beautiful ribbon letters. We make art alphabets in which letters turn into animals or are decorated with patterns. From stamping to calligraphy with ecoline. Experimenting with materials makes it extra fun." Letter Drawing provides a fresh and challenging way for children to develop their artistic skills.
Annefie's classes show how art not only makes children creative, but also curious and inquisitive. Would you like your child to participate in one of her classes as well? Discover Platform C's talent classes and experience how art can connect, inspire and amaze.
