OUTDOOR LIFE, STORYTELLING, PAINTING, DRAWING, SCULPTURE, VISUAL ARTS, MOVEMENT, DANCE, MUSIC, COMMUNITY, COLLABORATION, CO-CREATION, AESTHETIC PROCESSES, ART, EDUCATION, PLAY
REGION: Sjælland
MUNICIPALITY: Elsinore
PROCEDURE: 2022
DAILY OFFER: Børnehuset Ålsgårde - Nursery
Snow story: Børnehuset Ålsgårde - Nursery (2022)
How have you experienced the co-creation between artist/cultural educator/cultural school teacher, educators and children and possibly researcher?
We've opened up each other's worlds.
In the beginning, we had to see what Birgit was bringing. A little difficult at first to figure out how to meet. Now you just know where you have each other. Like being good colleagues. It's quick to find each other and important with the reflections.
This has also been very important to Birgit.
We have been able to see that the children have created new relationships.
It has opened up/created a space where you can immerse yourself.
We've had a third person who hasn't quite got the spark and you can feel it.
A lot of what goes on is quite invisible, but important.
We are used to saying certain things to the kids and thought it would be hard to do something else, like not praising and evaluating. But it's actually been quite easy.
We have a different starting point and when other people get involved, it can be a little difficult for them to get on board, because they can't quite see or understand what's going on.
How can we show what we have gained from it? Maybe we need to prioritize evaluation more.
You notice things you wouldn't otherwise notice in everyday life. The reflections continue and benefit the children. For example, teacher/assistant: some things we wondered about. Pedagogical reflections. We see things differently.
The project succeeded because we have the dialog: some things that can be hard for the artist to see. Employees have been involved in evoking the results, showing that "this and that happened". It becomes simplistic compared to kindergarten children. They are in things in a different way/on a different scale. Moments that don't necessarily happen in 20 minutes.
We see things differently. We don't usually have time to talk about it. Once we've said things out loud, we remember.
How have children's perspectives been expressed/included?
We presented things to them and then we just followed them. They were allowed to investigate and do what they wanted to do.
They have had to discover the sounds and create games based on them. Explore what the sounds can be used for in the game.
Children have become more aware of sound. You react because you pay attention.
Do the children play different games and with different people than they usually do?
Yes, we do.
At one point we let them play with the Play Art materials in the playground. Here the children showed some of the other children what they could do with them.
Games have been created based on some of the things we've made.
They have started tapping on things with the aim of investigating the sound.
For an eating situation: one person starts making a noise with a cup and spoon. 3 others follow. We don't stop them. Curious to immerse themselves in an eating situation as well.
How do pedagogical staff act differently than they did before PlayArt?
We have become better at not stopping the children and we are more curious. Appreciative and curious at the same time.
It has given me a lot.
Ask yourself: why can't you do that?
Teach kids when something is ok to do.
We continue the reflections when the meeting is over. We take it to our colleagues.
Us as colleagues: that we can share some questions with each other across the rooms.
You could easily do something across VU and Børnehave.
Birgit: awareness is heightened. Mirroring.
What has it been like to work with action learning?
Not much different from what we do on a day-to-day basis. Is our way of working.
We follow in the children's footsteps both in PlayArt and in everyday life.
Birgit has also noticed that the improvisational muscle has been exercised.
To the artist/cultural educator/cultural school teacher, if present: What have you gained from participating in LegeKunst?
Experiences working with the nursery age and many of the staff's pedagogical insights.
Have you noticed something new: noticing the obvious/simplification. It doesn't have to be complex. It happens right there. It takes up a lot of space, but doesn't seem like much.
What are educators still/now curious about?
Curious about what happens when we keep going. We give them the framework and tools. What are the children showing us?
The role: walking behind the children. We've already shown them, now they show us what they've taken in and want to move on.
There has already been a lot of interaction with the children. So we just need to do the same and see what happens.
After PlayArt, it will also be exciting to mix the children's group with some who have not tried it and also introduce it to our colleagues. Even to be allowed to be in the immersion.
How will you use art, culture and aesthetic processes in the future?
That art can be many things: seeing, hearing, making sounds, etc.
Continue working with the "Intestines" immersion room. Set up boards where you can draw with chalk, things you can tinker with.
Use the same materials.
Use natural materials: e.g. stone. Anything is possible.
What points of attention do we need to take forward?
Our own role in the activities, what it does.
We also pay more attention to the relationships that have developed among the children.
We have seen that some children have been able to use languages other than spoken language to communicate with other children.
Language is not the focus in the same way, it's something else that counts.
A sense of togetherness that comes from shared activities.
Perhaps a play workshop across vu and bra, a place where you are not measured on your language skills, for example.
