My name is Ahmadzia and I am a kite maker from Afghanistan. I had the pleasure of being invited to lead a workshop on kite-making at the Horniman.
It was a beautiful summers day and the wind was great for kite flying. I was happy to see that many people came to the workshop, both children and adults.
At the start of the workshop I gave a quick introduction to the making of kites and then everyone had a chance to make their own. We used lots of different coloured paper to make each kite unique and personal.
We then took our kites to the top of the hill in the beautiful Horniman Gardens and all flew them together.
![Ahmadzia laying out materials to make kites](https://cdn.horniman.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_8688-finsihed-kite-behind-web-1200x800.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
![Close up of Ahmadzia's hands as he cuts a piece of the kite material](https://cdn.horniman.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_8683-making-web-1200x800.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
Kite making and flying is a traditional pastime in Afghanistan, where I was born.
Kite fliers of all ages come together to display the kites they have made and sometimes even compete against each other by trying to cut down each other’s kites.
See Ahmadzia making the kites for the World Gallery as part of this workshop.
Look up next time you visit the World Gallery to admire his work.
![Ahmadzia holds up a small kite in the Afghanistan flag colours](https://cdn.horniman.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_8694-holding-an-Afghani-flag-kite-web-1200x800.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)