PERFORMANCE, PLAY, EDUCATION, COMMUNITIES, AESTHETIC PROCESSES, NARRATIVE, CO-CREATION
REGION: Faroe Islands
MUNICIPALITY: Thorshavn
PROCEDURE: 2022
DAILY OFFER: Sólareygað daycare center
Snudefortælling: Daginstitituionen Sólareygað (2022)
Our wondering: We are curious if an interaction/collaboration with an artist will change the dynamics in our children's groups and change our view on these dynamics. We want to explore the children's communities. We have somewhat stuck child communities, with some "unhealthy" dynamics that affect all children in the room. We have an insecure group of girls that is difficult to get into and we have several boys who have difficulty playing together.
- How have you experienced the co-creation between artist/cultural educator/cultural school teacher, educators and children and possibly researcher?
It has been very exciting and rewarding.
We have learned so much from each other. Staff have discovered working models they hadn't thought of before, the artist has discovered opportunities with young children she hadn't seen before and the children have tested sides of themselves they hadn't tried before.
At the meeting, the staff and artist were very happy, satisfied and excited about their co-creation/collaboration and wanted an artist to come to the daycare center every ½ year.
- How have children's perspectives been expressed/included?
The children's perspective has been central to all activities.
The artist and staff set the framework, determined the groups of children (the artist came up with the idea of counting up to the groups. The staff was skeptical, but decided to follow the idea, it was a success), rooms, that they should read a story and that they should draw at the end of the activity.
In the beginning, the artist and staff were more in control. However, the children have always had an influence on the story, they have built the stage and helped decide on the props. The children have chosen which roles they have taken. There has not been a requirement for participation. The children who wanted to participate took part in the game itself, while others played the role of spectators. The children themselves have decided what they have drawn at the end of the activity.
- Do children play different games and with different people than usual?
The children are not as "lost" as they were when their "best friend" is not in kindergarten.
The children who need special support in everyday life (the special gems) have achieved much more than the staff expected of them.
The children have been given the time they need to observe others and test themselves in a safe environment. This has given the children several new experiences of themselves.
One story is about a boy who has drawn a very specific tractor for a very long time - but for the 8th LegeKunst course, drew a drawing without a tractor and with more people in a new scene.
There are also girls who have dared to be "Spiderman" and have been trying out "strong" characters for the rest of the day.
Children's communities have become more dynamic and all children have greater access to the community.
- How do pedagogical staff act differently than they did before PlayArt?
Staff have become more free in their activities. They have become better at stepping back and not always being ready and in front.
The PlayArt program has given the staff new "glasses", allowing them to talk about individual children and communities of children who play differently.
- What has it been like to work with action learning?
It has been challenging, in a good way. It has become very clear how much more is happening as the staff take the time to wonder, organize and reflect together. It has been great to collaborate and co-create with our artist.
- To the artist/cultural mediator/cultural school teacher, if present: What have you gained from participating in PlayArt?
The artist has a lot of experience with "role play" and says that the experience with role play is that children (especially the quiet ones), in role play, get the opportunity to test themselves in new ways.
It has been rewarding for the artist to see how the staff and children have benefited from the models/frames the artist used.
Very exciting to see how the children developed during the process.
- What are the pedagogical staff still/now curious about?
They will try to stick to the ways in which the artist met the children. To set aside their own experience and be more open and "go with" the children's experience. Use the expression "well, yes .....". Being more attentive and curious about what the child is saying.
To "mirror" what the child does/says; "well, you say/do like this....."
Staff will try to follow the artist's method and dare to be more in the unknown and follow the children's initiative.
- How will you use art, culture and aesthetic processes in the further process?
They will continue to use the play art model and work with role play.
They want to bring an artist into the kindergarten every ½ year.
The 4x4x4 workshop model is good and they are grateful that the supervisor is a writer so they are free to reflect together.
- What points for attention should we take forward?
Working with the process rather than the product.
Making space so that no one is pressured to participate.
Working with small groups of children, as this creates a better opportunity for all children to be heard, seen and have the opportunity to contribute (4-5 children and 2 adults). One adult to be active support in storytelling, staging and role allocation and one adult for the children who need to observe before they can participate.
Being more conscious about leveling children and adults.
Spend more time getting children to share what they have drawn.
Allowing more space for children's own play - not letting the rhythm of the day interrupt children's own play.
Trying to use the artist's model as we start up after the summer vacation to support good child communities.
