Ideas
Reflecting on the potential for family learning
26 Jul 2009
The following is a summary of the Creative Homes project we have run in Hounslow over the past months. The project is delivered in partnership with Central Hounslow Extended Schools Service. The aim of this reflection was to allow us to decide where we would take the project next.
Creative Homes - CASESTUDY
Background
Bounce Theatre is a community interest company. They provide opportunities for people to join in, learn and be creative through drama and the arts. The Creative Homes project was conceived by the company and delivered in partnership with Hounslow Extended Schools Service. The aim of the project was to provide an opportunity for parents to engage with their own creativity, in order to find new ways to engage with their child.The project was delivered by two practitioners – who had specialisms in drama and art.
Overview
The project was delivered on a week day morning for two hours. Parents were invited to create work out of everyday objects they could find in the house or were financially accessible to purchase. During the course of the six weeks parents
· Created a puppet based out of scribble patterns
· Created a story as a group out of scribble patterns
· Participated in multi sensory drama activity
· Designed a story box for their child
· Designed and made a multi sensory book for their child
Number of participants
Course 1 15
Course 2 30
Outcomes
The project provided a number of outcomes for the participants individually, collectively and at home with their families.
Personal
The parents all displayed an increased confidence as the project continued, this was evident on a weekly basis as the sessions became livelier and more conversation took place. They all took work away with them each week and came back wanting to share their art work with the practitioners and each other. A number of the parents commented on the benefits they felt having time for themselves and to enjoy their own creativity. The work produced by the group exceeded and developed the ideas offered to them by the practitioners, demonstrating the personal pleasure the parents found in the projects and also they are finding their own creative thinking, with the development of new ideas.
Relationship with Child and Family
- The parents felt the project gave them more confidence to be creative with their child. They were also pleased with their child’s interest in their work and their desire to play with the work they were creating.
- They would enjoy sharing stories about their childs interest in “mummies homework”.
- Story games have been used at home, one mum commented this was here favourite activity as she had played it with her husband, her children and the family as a whole unit.
Relationship with group
- All the parents commented on the new friends they had made in the final session.
Relationship with community
- Work exhibited for one week at the theatre – mums took pictures on their mobile phones before they left the session to share with their friends.
- The project will lead to the creation of a parents forum and has increased the parents interest in community activity
- Three parents wish to volunteer on drama projects with a view to seeking employment
Select Participant Comments (verbatim)
- entered as a pebble ...was tried to start polishing myself by susie and louise got wonderful ideas to try to get the creative "ME" out of myself
- by the end of the sessions i can see a ray of sunshine from me, hope we all shine like starts and diamonds, got new friends and confidence
- cheers
- to the chess team, kudos
- I’m also showing the same skills to my friends and other community children and so the skills are now on going.
- Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity.
- Kids look forward to when mum will go to her class on Wednesday!
- It really helped me in doing my elder child project.
- I think it is wonder full time to be in creative things and I learn so many things which I didn’t know how to do it. I come from different country which we didn’t do all this creative or art and I really enjoy it.
- When we sit together and talk about different things, it is so lovely.
Where next?
Our current questions:
How do we engage the parents in their community? - How do we get more parents involved? - Can the project be a catalyst for something bigger? - Should we do more drama? - Can we get more dads on board.
For more information of the development of this project or to bring a family learning project into your community, please contact us.
Bounce Theatre did morning workshops with Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in Spring Term in conjunction with our Creativity week. They successfully incorporated our themes of animals, colours, rain forests and space. The children were inspired and the morning was thoroughly successful.