Photo Credit: Rachel Brooke for Earlyarts
Dear Friend
Welcome to the Creative Care Package No. 7 - a slight deviation to the normal Earlyarts Ebulletin - to bring artists and cultural organisations into your home or school and help ignite those little (and big!) imaginations in the days and weeks to come.
Many of you will be wondering whether to send your children back to nursery or school in the coming weeks or, for the teachers amongst us, whether or not to open up your setting to all children again. What a difficult decision for all concerned. If only we could see into the future! One thing is for sure, whatever decision schools and parents take, it will be driven by the desire for the safekeeping of our little ones. So if you find your setting phasing in the returners, or you discover parents who are diametrically opposed to your way of thinking for or against immediate return, don't worry.
For the first time in many years, politicians are acknowledging that there is no single right answer for everyone that can be supported by clear evidence. Parents and teachers are doing what they think is right for their own environment, resources, staffing provision, children, special needs, and so on. Every area, every family, every case is different, and everyone has the right to make their own decision according to their own contexts. For the first time in a very long time, we have the opportunity to use our personal and professional judgement as to what the best thing might be for our children, and that, at least, is a blessing. If it feels like a burden right now, that's because we're a bit out of practice.
We may not always make the 'right' decisions (whatever that means for each of us). But we can at least grasp the bull by the horns, have a look at the evidence available and make a decision we are relatively happy with for the benefit of our own children (and families). Who knows, maybe early education could continue along this line of parental-professional partnerships where our intuition, knowledge of our children and expert judgements are able to be exercised without fear of having to follow a one-size-fits-all approach.
As we try to work it out, remember that we are all in this together. Keep on being kind, patient and curious with one another.
Take good care,
Ruth Churchill Dower
Earlyarts Founding Director
Creative Ideas for Families and Schools
1. Music and Singing
i) Join the lovely Ruthie and Crow as they chart Crow’s journey in their Story Team chapters each week. All children are welcome to join the Story Team and send their fabulous ideas, characters and creatures for each week’s mission to storyteamdurham@gmail.com by 2pm each Friday. They will then be included in the following week’s super story, which can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SibHFPmkfr4.
ii) The wonderful Maestro Bebe are back with their opera for babies, a sensorial concert bathed in colour, exquisite sound, superb characters and playful lighting displays. It won’t matter to your little ones what language this is in – it will all make perfect sense in their worlds: https://youtu.be/7m8f9gO1yKU.
iii) Whether you have little ones or slightly bigger ones, Rob Kitchen’s drumming tutorials are a great way to get them engaged in making their own music. Using household objects as percussion instruments, Rob’s family improvise beats that would give your grannie’s pacemaker a new lease of life. This is a wonderful introduction to playing musical games together at home: https://youtu.be/CuJ8MN3GY4c. Check out the other super lessons on his channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRzblmZainYDDQaPaOnDX8A.
iv) On the theme of percussion, Live Music Now at Home present a most ingenious journey through the sounds and flavours of many percussion instruments from around the world with superb musicians Iolo and Luke, specially designed for children with SEN and disabilities. Join in here with your pots and pans: https://youtu.be/njT3UnbdyA0.
v) How about putting your musical imagination to paper and creating your own musical score with shapes, pictures and images? The brilliant Birmingham Contemporary Music Group help you do just that, inspired by awesome composers such as Cornelius Cardew, Cathy Berberian and John Cage who expressed musical ideas much better through sorting out their shapes. Watch their videos of musical scores and throw your own shapes, lines and moves into the mix! http://resources.bcmg.org.uk/creating-music-at-home/graphic-scores.
2. Art, Design, Materials and Mixed Media
i) For the locked-downs who are clearing out all their 'stuff' and chomping at the bit for some artistic inspiration, look no further. How stunning is this beautiful animation from the awesome musician, theatre and film maker extraordinaire, Ainsley Henderson?: https://vimeo.com/ainslie/stems.
ii) Why not grab a pencil and join author and illustrator, Debi Gliori, every day from Monday to Saturday in a fabulous series of short videos to discover how her special characters such as Bookbug come to life? Debi’s drawalongs are perfect for young children and also a really relaxing activity for grown-ups too! https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading-and-stories/bookbug/bookbug-is-10. Or check out the Scottish Book Trust’s free Bookbug app with new songs created by Sprog Rock and Glasgow’s Buchlyvie Nursery here: https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading-and-stories/bookbug/bookbug-app.
iii) With all our natural visitors having moved back into town, there are plenty of beasties and buglets to house. Why not join the fabulous Emily Laurens from the Oriel Myrddin Gallery to make some super Bug Hotels for your garden or outdoor spaces? In fact, check out all of Emma’s videos to find a whole week of fabulous artistic activities including weaving, party poppers, mobiles, kites, butterflies, rattles and even making a matchbox theatre for your toys’ next performance! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogm3zqsVszApgd8ZGRebg or explore how to make a Kaleidoscope to marvel at your new beastie friends on the gallery resources page: https://orielmyrddingallery.co.uk/category/learning-resources/.
iv) Ever wondered how to make your own paintbrush out of natural foraged materials? Or an amazing animal sculpture out of household waste? Or even how easy it is to do your own print making and decorate your own birthday wrapping paper? Look no further than the Royal Academy’s family resources – just scroll down to the Art Activities at the bottom of this page and clear a big space! https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/families.
3. Dance and Movement
i) The fab team at Movement Works will be supporting early years and SEND groups with a bespoke and specialist timetable during the lockdown period. All their dancers are highly qualified to support children with different needs. Check out their weekly schedule here and get your children of all abilities moving and grooving: https://www.movementworks.org/movementworks-online-sessions/.
ii) The lovely Catherine from Manor Arts is running her Baby and Tots Dance sessions via YouTube for now which all families are welcome to join in with. You will find a series of short dance pieces to music that help youngsters coordinate their bodies, rhythms and movements at the same time as being tonnes of fun: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaUn7gS9qgYqWzgIO7pU5NxPuVYga8PyA.
iii) Associate Artist for People Dancing (the national dance education network), Liz Clark, interviews co-artistic director of Four Hands Dance, George Fellows about, well, men in dance and early years. A brilliant read following on from a brilliant tour of their family-engagement piece, Touch: https://www.communitydance.org.uk/DB/blogs-and-voices/news_and_views/why-men-in-early-years-dance-arent-just-here-for-fun.
Photo Credit: Rachel Brooke for Earlyarts
4. Museums and Galleries
i) Ever wondered what else you could do with a mushroom (or what they could do with you?), well wonder no more. Take inspiration from children’s author, Beatrix Potter or performance artist, David Fenster, or designer Carsten Holler, amongst others, in Somerset House’s beautiful, virtual and sensory tour of fantastic fungi: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/blog/virtual-tour-mushrooms.
ii) Discover how to do collagraph printing using materials you have to hand with the super team at Hastings Museum. You can take part in a series of themed sessions through @hastings_museum on Twitter and Instagram or via facebook.com/hastingsmuseum. The upcoming themes are Line, Shape, Form, Colour (18.05.20 - 08.06.20); Myths & Legends (15.06.20 - 06.07.20); Science & Technology (13.07.20 - 03.08.20); and British Summertime (10.08.20 - 31.08.20). Don't forget to share your amazing creations with them on social media!
iii) The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) is offering a wonderfully peaceful creative play project called, small ideas for BIG IMAGINATIONS, alongside their beautiful Unlocking Imagination and Drawing Breath journals. Get immersed in gentle ways to share your worlds together as a family and enjoy the depth of thinking that emerges as you do: https://artgallery.wa.gov.au/learn/children-and-families.
iv) Time and Tide Museum in Norfolk have created a range of fantastic family resources. Why not join King Kipper in a series of fun and interactive videos to discover interesting museum objects, make a craft and discover their hidden stories? Or enjoy a preview of their new exhibition, May the Toys Be With You! Or even find out if you have what it takes to join the Roman Army…: https://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/time-tide/learning/lockdown-learning.
v) Sydney Opera House have put together a superb little series of Who’s In The Lift? videos. Watch as curious kids step through the giant doors of the scenery lift at the Sydney Opera House and meet some amazing people from the stage and behind the scenes. Each artist explains a few tricks of their trade and invites their young guests to have a go. Join in at home here: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/visit-us/bring-the-kids/for-the-kids/whos-in-the-lift.html.
5. Story and Role Play
i) Since we have all had to deal with big feelings, sometimes overwhelming and sometimes quiet, recently, the wonderful Dragon Bird Theatre have created a super Story Book Show called Mr Clement and The Weather. We find, during any time of uncertainty, it's good to remember Mr Clement's wise words... Stop. And take three deep breaths. Then dive right in and enjoy this beautiful show: https://www.dragonbirdtheatre.co.uk/dragonbird-at-home.
ii) Feeling a bit jaded with telling the same old stories, or worried that the kids are constantly upstaging your storytelling skills? Look no further than Spark Arts wonderful Story Telling Toolkit, with simple ideas based on Polly the Post and Little Owl stories by Manya Benenson, Artist in Residence at St Barnabas Library during the Spark Arts for Children Imaginative Spaces project: https://thesparkarts.co.uk/storytellingtoolkit.
iii) Also bringing learning to life is the National Education Union’s superb Adventure In Learning packs written by Debra Kidd. Go on a real, live adventure, discover another country, navigate a storm, wrestle a shark, dance with the animals on safari and still get home in time for tea. Packed full of educational resources, this pack provides many helpful starting points for a whole month of lessons, nevermind a day: https://coronavirusandschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Journey-to-the-South-Pole.pdf.
iv) An amazing little boy called Telesik and his magic golden boat bravely manage to overcome a sneaky, snakey-dragon with the help of some flying friends. Find out how in this beautifully animated story by renowned storyteller, Kevin Graal, and make your own boat so you can have some super floaty adventures in the bath afterwards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPDsRGkMDeo. Or check out Kevin’s web site for other resources at https://talkingtales.org.
v) You may have put aside thoughts of any trips to London right now, but don’t forget the fantastic British Library have a mind-boggling collection of magical children’s books through the centuries that you can access right from your sofa. What’s more, they have put together a superb series of resources on how to draw a Gruffalo, create your own characters, design miniature books, make your hero super and a wonderful interview with Jacqueline Wilson: https://www.bl.uk/childrens-books. What a treat!
vi) The wonderful Wizard Presents are cooking up a feast of Birthday Celebrations to bring some extra magic to our children’s special days whilst we can’t celebrate in the usual way. Alongside a series of superb stories, shows, imagination-sparking resources, live events and special guests, check out renowned storyteller, Danyah Miller, celebrating 75 years of Pippi Longstocking publications here with Oxford Owl: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=749493015788853, or in conversation with bestselling children’s author Michael Morpurgo: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=700694317389169, plus a range of beautiful bedtime stories: https://www.youtube.com/user/wizardpresents.
Finally, as a special treat, Wizard Presents are offering the opportunity to win a live interactive storyteller visit from Danyah via video link for any child who didn’t get a birthday party or has their big day coming up. 2nd prize is a stack of beautiful story books and 3rd prize is a family ticket to one of Danyah’s shows after lockdown. To enter the competition, just answer the riddle on this page: https://www.wizardpresents.co.uk/project/birthdays/. Entries will open on Friday 29th May and close on 30th June.
P.S. Don’t forget you can download a free pack on Den making from Earlyarts’ Nurturing Young Children’s Learning series by signing up to the quarterly Earlyarts Ebulletin, along with our pack on Ten Techniques for Creative Teaching (also great for families!). This way you’ll get notified of each new list of creative ideas.
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