The Goethe-Institut Myanmar family has now reached the final phase of our year-long "Go Green Goethe" initiative. As we approach the open-air season, exciting outdoor programs are planned in collaboration with interested participants as part of this edition of Go Green Goethe.

Given that the Goethe-Institut is continuously in operation, a significant amount of office waste is generated. For the upcoming Thadingyut and Tazaungdaing festivals, we plan to repurpose this waste to create lanterns and decorations. This initiative will be open not only to the Goethe-Institut Myanmar family but also to interested participants.

A workshop will be organized where participants will learn to craft paper from discarded office materials and other collected waste. They will also create lanterns and decorations using paper-cutting techniques. The finished creations from the workshop will be selected and displayed as decorations during the Thadingyut and Tazaungdaing festivals at the Goethe-Institut Myanmar premises, with the possibility of being featured in exhibitions planned for the end of the year.

We invite everyone to follow the Goethe-Institut Myanmar’s ongoing environmental activities as we foster eco-friendly habits to protect the environment.

Workshop Schedule: October 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
Workshop Facilitator: Phyo Thamein

As part of the year-long Go Green Goethe initiative led by Goethe-Institut Myanmar family, there will be plastic reduction activities organized in the final months of 2024. Starting in September, the last Tuesday of each month will be designated as "Plastic Free Day," during which Goethe-Institut will raise awareness and monitor efforts within the premises to reduce plastic usage as much as possible.
This initiative calls on the active participation of Goethe-Institut Myanmar staff, students, library visitors, art exhibition attendees, and all guests to engage effectively.

"Plastic Free Day" dates:
24.09.2024
29.10.2024
26.11.2024
31.12.2024

Mingalaba - in Singapore

The Myanmar Photo Archive will participate in the 9th Singapore International Photo Festival from 18th October to 24th November. The Archive will take over The Peninsular Shopping Center, a well-known meeting point for Singapore’s Myanmar community. The shopping mall also hosts two Burmese restaurants. In collaboration with various store owners, this multi-narrative exhibition will be open to the public, engaging with the unique themes of each shop—from a musical instrument supplier to Mandalay BBQ and a photo studio offering analogue photographic services.

During the festival, the newspaper RETHINK, originally produced for the exhibition at the Goethe-Institut in January, will be reprinted and distributed free of charge in both English and Burmese to visitors.

On September 1st, from 1 PM to 3 PM, a Hand Colouring Book launch event was held at Yangon Book Plaza, where visitors also had the chance to participate in a hands-on coloring activity. There was a great number of enthusiastic buyers. During the event, the creation of the Hand Colouring Book was introduced, along with its compact and adorable design. Inside the book, visitors could find intricately hand-colored photographs, and various methods and mediums for adding color onto the photos were explained. Around 20 participants took part in the workshop, where they coloured black-and-white photos. Goethe-Institut Myanmar and the Myanmar Photo Archive team expressed their gratitude to all the book buyers and workshop participants.

We are excited to share that the Academy of Care Cohort 3 officially started on September 23, 2024, with 15 participants. The first week focused on basic mental health knowledge, setting the foundation for their journey ahead. Participants are currently spending two weeks in dramatherapy, led by a research director and trainer from the Research Institute for Dramatherapy in Sri Lanka. This will be followed by two weeks of art therapy and music therapy running in parallel, featuring an experienced art psychotherapist based in India and a clinical music therapist who is the co-founder of the Therapeutic Music Training (TMT) program in Nepal.

Upcoming WMHD Event: Mindful October: Creative Paths to Mental Wellbeing and Healing

We are also pleased to announce our World Mental Health Days (WMHD) event, "Mindful October: Creative Paths to Mental Wellbeing and Healing." This event will take place at the Goethe-Institut Myanmar from October 10 to 12, in collaboration with Academy of Care, the British Council, European Union, Institut Français de Birmanie and local partners.

The WMHD event will highlight the the significant impact of art therapy, music therapy, and dramatherapy in supporting mental wellbeing.

Mark your calendars for October 10, 11, and 12, and join us for a series of events: workshops, panel discussions, theatre performances, poetry readings, and film screenings as we explore creative paths to mental healing!

The detailed schedule will be announced on our social media pages.

The basics to make Burmese font: concept, techniques, software skills and typography knowledge are tailored to give interested individuals in Myanmar font making Course, organized by Goethe-Institut Myanmar and Talking Types designers. The course was led by experienced local type designers Ko Zin Bo and Ko Htun Naung, and supported by Ko Htet Aung Khine.

Course Overview

The course spanned two months, running every Saturday, and covered both theoretical and practical aspects of type design.It was designed for beginners, offering them a step-by-step approach to understanding the intricacies of font creation, from fundamentals to concept, standards and digital rendering. Eight participants completed this intensive course.

The curriculum included:

Designer Ko Zin Bo's Lessons:
- What is Typography
- Type Classification
- Legibility and Readability
- Stroke and Contrast
- Typeface vs Font
- Body Text vs Display

Designer Ko Htun Naung's Lessons:
- Interface and Tools
- Setting your Metrics
- Starting the First Letter Frame
- Create Myanmar Alphabet
- Ligatures and Alternatives
- Spacing and Kerning
- Font Info and Exporting
- Error & Problem Solving

Participants' Journey and Motivation

The course attracted a diverse group of individuals, ranging from graphic designers to type enthusiasts. The well selected 8 participants also demonstrated significant improvement, gaining confidence in their technical skills and creativity.

Trainer’s Notes and Reflections

Designer Htun Naung
“In the course, we provide practical training on font design software, explaining structure and proportions in detail. We also assign homework and offer feedback and critiques on letter designs. The trainees are proficient in using software tools and demonstrate creativity in their letterform designs.

In future sessions, we should place more emphasis on teaching kerning and metrics so that students can gain a deeper understanding of these concepts.”

Designer Zin Bo
“This course was created to bring more systematic approaches to typography, which is much needed in the field of Myanmar graphic design, and to nurture type designers who can develop better Myanmar typefaces. I am very pleased to see the participants’ enthusiasm and dedication to learning.
We, as trainers, have also learned a lot from their needs, curiosities, and the challenges they face.”

Designer Htet Aung Khine
“Thanks to the efforts of Ko Zin Bo and Ko Htun Naung, as well as the dedication of the trainees, I had the opportunity to gain teaching experience. Additionally, I learned about the challenges posed by the differences in type design software across Windows OS systems.”

Lessons Learned and Future Aspirations

In designing typefaces, we must balance practicality with visual appeal. When creating a font, the width, weight, and detailed adjustments of optical elements are extremely important. A font’s main responsibility is to ensure a smooth reading experience and to deliver content efficiently, so every detail is carefully considered.

Therefore, fonts should be created with their specific purpose and requirements in mind. Beyond artistic appeal, fonts must be practically versatile and able to maintain beauty across various shapes and transformations. We also ensure that fonts are functional and successful on all platforms.

When we began creating Myanmar typefaces, we noticed a lack of precision and standards related to Myanmar typography. Although the Burmese script emerged around the 11th century AD and moveable type were used after the 17th century, it’s difficult to trace the exact forms and structures of the characters that were used. In the 1980s, Burmese ASCII fonts were introduced, and by 2015, Unicode fonts were available. However, it took us a long time to solve issues with keyboard layouts, scripts, and standards. As a result, the typographic system has remained underdeveloped.

Many of the typefaces still in use today are based on designs originally intended for signage and printing. Because of this, we need to put more effort into studying and developing a more systematic approach to Myanmar typography and type design. Recently, we’ve started to define essential type anatomy standards for Myanmar typography. Moving forward, we will continue to study the historical aspects of type design, work on typeface classification, and establish more practical and fundamental standards for typeface usage.

Start learning the German language systematically at the Goethe-Institut Myanmar! Our German language courses are based on the six levels defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Our courses are thereby internationally recognized and comparable. Goethe-Institut Myanmar is offering online and in-person German language courses in October. Registration is open from 30.09.2024 to 10.10.2024. For any inquiries, please get in touch with us via info.language.mmr@goethe.de. 

Do you need documented proof of your German language skills that are recognized all over the world? 

The Goethe-Institut certificates are accepted worldwide as verification of your language capabilities. Goethe-Institut Myanmar is offering Goethe-Zertifikat exams in October. Registration is open from 30.09.2024 – 01.10.2024. Please check our schedule and register via info.language.mmr@goethe.de!

Welcome to our Children & Youth Program! We are excited to introduce our upcoming program, "Macrame for Mindfulness: Class for Kids!" designed for children aged 6 to 13 years."

Let your child explore creativity while learning to focus and relax. In our engaging, hands-on class, kids will make beautiful designs like keychains, bracelets, and wall hangings. Through simple knotting techniques, they’ll enhance their fine motor skills, patience, problem-solving abilities and mindfulness. This therapeutic experience encourages self-expression and a sense of accomplishment.

Join us for this enriching and calming activity!

Admission is free. Spaces are limited, so please register in advance to secure your spot. To register, please send mail to  biblio-yangon@goethe.de by providing the following information:
♦ Name ♦ Age ♦ Contact Number

Join our exciting Reading Club designed especially for children aged 10 to 14 with German language skills at A1 Level!

In this one-hour session, young readers will explore exciting stories and practice German in a relaxed, supportive environment. This club is more than just reading—it's about making friends, sparking your imagination, and building confidence in your language skills. Whether you’re eager to explore new worlds through books or simply want to improve your German, come along and be part of our reading journey!
 
To register, please send mail to biblio-yangon@goethe.de by providing the following information:  ♦Name  ♦Age  ♦Contact Number

Exciting news for those looking to enhance their German reading skills! The monthly "Reading Club/Leseclub" is here to help expand your vocabulary and usage.

This month's program is aimed for the participants at the A2 Level. On both days, we will read the same book together with the teacher. The purpose is to nurture effective reading habits for readers; hence, we encourage you to participate in both sessions.

So, we warmly welcome you to grab this opportunity to share your thoughts with other bookworms. Join us, and let's dive into the world of German literature together!
If you are interested in participating, please register by sending an email to biblio-yangon@goethe.de by providing the following information:
• your name • contact number • your German proficiency level

In the "Learning Advisory" Program, you will be assisted with any challenges you may encounter in your German studies. A teacher of Goethe-Institut Myanmar will address these issues and provide recommendations. In this month's "Learning Advisory" program, we will delve into essential books, online resources, and tailored recommendations suitable for A2-level German language learners.

A virtual online session has also been arranged so that those who cannot visit the library can participate and ask questions.

If you are interested in participating, please register by sending an email to biblio-yangon@goethe.de by providing the following information:
• your name • contact number • your German proficiency level • a question that you would like to ask and • the date you wish to attend

We are thrilled to announce that our Library’s monthly program, "Board Game Day," is happening this Saturday! This month, we’re adding a fun twist by incorporating ''Flashcards''—a simple yet effective tool for learning and memorization—guided by a teacher. Through interactive flashcard games, participants will match questions with the correct answers, creating joyful moments while enhancing vocabulary and language skills. We invite you to participate in this exciting program and bring your friends along for some interactive and enjoyable communication. See you there!

Only A2 level is required to play this game, those interested can contact biblio-yangon@goethe.de or 01 9376160 (ext. 301/302) to make a reservation during library opening hours.

New media are available in our German Online Library “ONLEIHE”, including works by Nora Bossong, Zora del Buono, Frank Goldammer, Daniela Krien, Ulla Lenze, Miriam Meckel, Max Oravin, Peter Stamm und Markus Thielemann. Access them free of charge in our ONLEIHE - the German Online Library.