STORYTELLING, OUTDOORS, DRAMA, THEATER, MOVEMENT, MUSIC, COMMUNITY, CO-CREATION, PLAY, ART, CULTURE

REGION: Southern Denmark
MUNICIPALITY: Vejle
PROCEDURE: 2022
DAILY OFFER: Grejsdalen

Snow story: Grejsdalen (2022)

From our daily pedagogical work, we know that children love storytelling and music, but we usually do it as stand-alone activities. But can we get better at including it in our pedagogical work in other areas? For example, in relation to nature and science, which take up a lot of space in our everyday lives. And can we do it in a way that gives children even more space to play?

- How have you experienced the co-creation between artist/cultural educator/cultural school teacher, educators and children and possibly researcher?

It has been an exciting and rewarding experience. Both for the children, the daycare providers and the artist. In general, it has gone well, but for the daycare it was completely new with the concept of PlayArt.

So along the way, we've had to play together and figure out how to organize everything - and, most importantly, figure out what we each hoped to get out of the project.

But the good thing is that we figured it out every time, to the delight of the children.

The concept of a suitcase full of toys meant that we could always adapt to the situation with a few simple steps and we as childminders could be part of it.

- How have children's perspectives been expressed/included?

We have stuck to our concept that the children are the ones who take things out of the suitcase and thus control the direction of the games. After each workshop, we have also evaluated whether we have succeeded in giving the children space. We think we are, and we've gotten better and better at it along the way.

- Do children play different games and with different people than usual?

It's still a little too early to judge. We can see they have enjoyed it when we have repeated some of the games.

- How do pedagogical staff act differently than they did before PlayArt?

It's also a bit early to judge, but we think we've gained a sharper view on how to follow the children's footsteps, and we've expanded our opportunities in terms of art and culture.

- What has it been like to work with action learning?

It has been very exciting and also very new for us. In this context, it has given us a lot to do our own reflections and evaluations. It has given us something in relation to our own role in the project, and it has given us something in relation to our dialog with the artist along the way, as well as a growing understanding of the possibilities of art and culture.

- To the artist/cultural mediator/cultural school teacher, if present: What have you gained from participating in PlayArt?

For the artist, it has been really exciting to work with the daycare providers. It has given them an understanding of what it means to be a daycare provider versus a daycare institution. It has also given a lot of exciting ideas back to the artist. The daycare providers have a lot of experience with presence and play, and over the years they have all picked up interesting knowledge about both nature/science and singing/storytelling. So the artist is therefore also extra happy with the experience that this has been a very equal process, where everyone's knowledge mattered.

- What are the pedagogical staff still/now curious about?

They are still curious to learn more about how to incorporate art and culture into their daily pedagogical work with children.

- How will you use art, culture and aesthetic processes in the further process?

We will try to incorporate it into everyday activities so that it is not a "special" activity.

- What points for attention should we take forward?

How can we transfer the ideas into shorter everyday activities.