A truly creative, wild and free school to set the heart on fire
Words by Quyên Hoàng ● Edited by Rose Arnold ● Images courtsey of Toa Tàu
School – with its stifling schedule, tiresome rules and focus on results – is enough to kill the lust for learning and joy of discovery that everyone is born with. Think back to time in the classroom. Unless you were very lucky you’ll remember the feeling of being stuck inside, learning pointless facts, with life happening elsewhere. So the idea of going back to school might not sound appealing. But at Toa Tàu (Railway Car) in Saigon, there is an alternative way of learning, one which puts the joy of discovery and freedom back on the agenda.
The name Toa Tàu is inspired by well-loved children’s story Totto-chan – The Little Girl at the Window by Japanese author Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. A free spirited little girl, expelled from different schools for her frolicking ways, at last finds her place at an alternative primary school, Tomoe Gakuen. At Tomoe – the classrooms made inside discarded railroad cars carried to the property – Totto-chan and her friends are allowed to learn and explore the world at their own pace, without a restricted curriculum. Over the years, the book has enchanted many hearts across generations in Vietnam, including the three founders of Toa Tàu, Chí Đỗ, Thu Thủy and Phương Thủy.
“A beautiful part of life is happening, where education takes place not for preparation for life, but is life itself” – John Dewey
What these founders set up is a creative learning hub that adopts the spirit of Totto-chan’s Tomoe Gakuen school. It offers a variety of creative classes for both adults and children not with the central aim of not learning the ‘right’ way to do something but with the desire to ignite creative expression. The philosophy behind Toa Tàu is that the ability to create, and the act of creating itself, can bring tremendous joy to the people doing it. By participating you’re not only gaining creative skills, but a memorable experience, a platform with which to see life differently. Human connection and individuals’ relationship to the community is key.
Between them the founding trio have an impressive range of experience and credentials. Chí Đỗ, or Bút Chì (Pencil) as he is known, has worked as a comic artist and illustrator for several major publishers and magazines in Vietnam, while creating graphic novels in his free time. He also spent many years giving drawing classes and became convinced that absolutely anyone can draw, it is a matter of telling stories as opposed to ‘correct’ techniques. Phương Thủy, Bút Chì’s friend of nearly 10 years who along with him organised the drawing classes ‘Drawing for Storytellers’, is an editor for Elle Vietnam magazine, as well as a writer and translator of children’s books. The third founder, Thu Thủy, has a background in project management, education and training. She took the Drawing for Storytellers’ class, became inspired by the friends’ idea that creativity is for everyone and joined the project.
Toa Tàu now gives sessions on storytelling presentation, ukelele, visual exploration, origami, and more, as well as regular workshops and talks. The classes attract all ages, from children as young as five to elders in their seventies. The venue itself evokes a sense of a childhood playground, colourful paint spills out on the steps to the entrance, the walls are filled with artwork.
John Dewey, a pioneering educator and philosopher, said: “A beautiful part of life is happening, where education takes place not for preparation for life, but is life itself”. And that truly is what Toa Tàu offers. A big slice of bright and beautiful life.
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You can find Toa Tàu’s schedule and register for classes at www.toatau.com
