Building Creative Partnerships through image and text

Abstract

This paper reports an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Creative Partnerships project. This comprised three stages: professional development of artists and teachers at an experimental lab; artists’ residencies in Foundation Stage classes; and evaluation of the experience by the artists, teachers and researchers of achievements made. An inspiration for the project was the Reggio Emilia approach of northern Italy that emphasises design and physical arrangements in space; valuing collaboration among all adults, the teacher (educatore), artist or art educator (atelierista) working together and pedagogue (pedagogista) who provides leadership; documentation and reflections on artistic experiences and ample support by art resources. A case study approach using multiple sites and multiple methods was adopted. Results showed relationships among creative activities, collaborative actions of artists and teachers and actions and responses of children. Multiple perspectives identified by Creative Partnership representations were seen as a means to free up the curriculum by head teachers, a form of inter-disciplinary sharing of ideas by artists and, by teachers, a complex three-way learning relationship between children, artists and teachers that was vital for children's learning. The project team created an equal partnership in negotiation, debate and reflexivity, the teacher became a learner and active participant in collaborative art practices in which children appeared to be developing autonomy and other modes of thinking. The aspiration was longer-term change in understanding of learning, knowledge and skill acquisition within the community of learners.