Editor No such thing as an ugly duckling Reading thRough my last few editorials, i realise that i have taken the path of least resistance, the easy route. When making comment on the doings of the government, it is easy to pick fault and to criticise, it really takes no effort at all. at times, this negativity is entirely justified, but rather than being mean spirited, it also offers feedback to policy decisions that often seems rooted in a reality that is entirely alien to children and childhood. Maybe i focus on this too much, but i do write as a parent, as well as an editor. however, all this doom and gloom, naysaying and expecting rain, could lead to some people believing that all is broken. it is not. The sector is alive with brilliance, and wonderful, energetic, thoughtful, caring and intelligent people working in so many creative and exceptional ways. Proof, if i ever needed it, was very much in the pudding recently, and for that i would like to thank the staff at the wonderful Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, south west London, who invited me to attend a performance of The Ugly Duckling, featuring just two actors, minimal props, and subtle lighting and music. We have featured early years theatre on a number of occasions in the magazine, but i had yet to experience it in the flesh. and i am glad that i did, i had a smile on my face the whole way through. of course, i am not the target audience, so i was interested to see how the young audience would respond to the performance, which for the large part involved slow movement, facial expressions, the occasional quack and subtle lightning. The small size of the theatre, the lightning and the music gave the environment a calm and serene nature, in complete contrast with the cacophony that had built in the waiting room. What struck me was that the children responded with great interest in what was unfolding on the stage. For the large part there was no speech; communication involved the use of facial expression, dance and props. There were no bright primary colours and no loud songs, it was very very different from some other forms of ‘children’s entertainment’. The children were fully engaged with the performance and the performers, and showed a real appreciation of the show. i will certainly pay another visit. This got me thinking of children’s creativity and how we should do all we can to encourage them to explore this side of their personalities, that we should try not to ‘teach’ them out of this natural creative instinct. i was reminded of an event, that i was unable to attend, held by Reflections day nursery in Worthing to celebrate children’s creative learning. The nursery staff held an exhibition in a local gallery, that looked very professional, but more importantly took the brilliant work of the children into the community, to share their learning with the wider world. What a wonderful thing to do, when there is so much confusion about what happens in the early years, and why it need protecting from top-down pressures. it also shows great pride in the children and the work of the staff in the setting. Editor Neil Henty MSc Consultant editor Jessica Waterhouse MA, early years teacher, Cypress Infant School, London