Archive Project: Early Years Creative Foundations

Project Description

Early Years – Creative Foundations/ME Exhibition/Beyond Faces Publication

This project grew out of an inspirational exhibition, which toured the UK in 2000. The Hundred Languages of Children exhibition displayed the work of children and teachers from the Early Years educational system of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy. Reggio schools place the arts at the centre of the learning process. Each school has an atelierista. The atelierista is a fulltime member of staff with an art and design background.

The aim of the Creative Foundations project was for the artist to work as a fully participating member of staff contributing to not only delivery of the early learning goals but also to planning, documentation and evaluation. To disseminate models of good practice to other practitioners through INSET, presentations at conferences, visits to and from settings, observations by Early Years educators and exhibitions. Artists and early years practitioners worked together bringing to the partnership both skills and knowledge in early years education and creative arts practice. This provided an environment where children could explore materials, try out ideas and grow in confidence and self-esteem.

Children experienced stories and songs, engaging with all their senses, feeling the mud of the Bear Hunt and those lovely squelching sounds, diving into the story box with all its exciting possibilities for singing and making sounds, being someone else and losing yourself in an imaginary world. There were opportunities to explore a sense of self and belonging through drawings and paintings. A significant focus throughout the project was that of process. Children, early years practitioners and artists worked together in experiential learning situations, which encouraged exploration, with the adult in the role of the facilitator.

 

Feedback
“Having an Artist in Residence paid dividends on many levels. It provided a starting point for developing understanding in relation to Creativity amongst advisory staff supporting Early Years settings. It gave them firsthand experience of “good practice” and an opportunity to see curriculum boundaries being pushed to the limit. It also gave them the opportunity to observe the range of teaching strategies used by an “untrained” teacher; an experience that gave them much to think about”

“Staff became more confident in experimenting with a variety of media and were amazed by the work that the children would attempt!”

“Working in a school on a regular year long project meant that I was accepted, supported and involved as part of the school staff by parents, children and all staff members enabling strong working relationships to develop. Personally this was extremely important to my enjoyment of the work as artists often work in isolation”

“All centre users have become more confident in planning for creative experiences and have a greater understanding of the importance of developing these throughout the centre”

Following the year long residency an exhibition to celebrate the work of the artists and children was put together called the ME exhibition.

The ME exhibition toured four venues in 12 months;
• Rugby Art gallery and Museum
• Solihull Arts Centre
• London International Institute of Children’s Art
• Sightlines Initiative conference in Newcastle

The project featured in Conference workshops and presentations in the following areas;
• Creative learning Conference Creative partnerships Black country
• Hereford EYDCP conference
• ALISS Conference Birmingham

And informed Training presentation/workshops for;
• Warwickshire EDYCP through an SLA with Artists in Warwickshire Education
• Advisory staff and teachers Coventry and Solihull

A direct result of the project is Beyond Faces Published by Artists in Warwickshire Education WCC. This publication is a collaboration between Artists in Warwickshire Education and the Royal Pump Rooms & Art Gallery in Leamington Spa. It is intended as an inspiration and guide to using a visual art collection whether it be in a gallery or on the internet, or through images and artefacts collected by practitioners/teachers to resource their teaching.

Whilst the guide was initially intended for teachers of Early Years children, it obviously has huge potential for use with Key Stage One in terms of cross curricular themes and practical ideas. Indeed many of the ideas would fit well into the delivery of areas of Key Stage 2 curriculum. The inspirational use of art references could apply throughout the primary curriculum.

It is intended that this publication be used as a reference/guide which teachers and practitioners can dip into. With its identified links to the Early Years Learning Goals it will be a useful planning tool.

Funders and Partners