Students at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts are celebrating Halloween this year by giving back. They made over fifty-five unique, handcrafted costumes for pediatric patients and families at Brenner Children's Hospital.
It started with fabric, donated by a woman who used to make stuffed bears for children at The Ronald McDonald House. Pam Knourek, from the UNCSA school of design and production then got an idea: Why not use the fabric in a way that benefits the community?
So, undergraduate and graduate students there began working together, mostly in their spare time, designing costumes and accessories for the children's hospital. They had to keep the fabrics soft, and to leave options for children who are in wheelchairs, or unable to get out of bed.
“They started to make things like a mermaid tail that would hook on the feet but tuck around their legs if in a chair or a bed," says Knourek. "A tutu was made for a Tinkerbell costume that would just go around and latch behind them.“
Knourek says that she and fellow UNCSA faculty members were proud of their students, and they were excited to see the energy around the project.
“Typically we train for the entertainment industry. Everything is very structured, or script based, character based. This was an opportunity for them to let their own voices sing for something much bigger than they are."
With the overwhelmingly positive response from the students, Knourek says that as long as fabric is available, she and her students will be working on making Halloween dreams come true for many more years.