case studies
Bishop Henderson Primary School
Bishop Henderson Primary School has been involved in 5x5x5=creativity for three years.
Educator: Sandy Shephard
Artist: Annabelle Macfadyen
Cultural Centre: The Merlin Theatre
Mentor: David Allinson
The nursery class attached to a Bishop Henderson Primary school in Coleford, Somerset has been involved in 5x5x5=creativity for three years with Annabelle, a movement artist. In the first year their research enquiries into the importance of spontaneous movement play and non-verbal communication in children's creativity and learning reinforced their understanding of these areas. In the second year their initial observations revealed the diverse interests and forms of the children's creative expression. The adults wanted to value and celebrate this variety and respond to their different preferences.
The adults had questions in mind:
‘How are children using movement, gesture, facial expression and words to express themselves and communicate with others?
What are individual children's preferred forms of creative expression?
Do children group themselves according to these preferences?
Through their interaction with others, do they begin to influence each other and explore a medium which is not their preferred style?'
In the beginning the adult provocations included creating a movement space in the classroom and providing a suitcase with contents (a map, lots of pairs of gloves, large pieces of different textured and coloured material, ribbons, clothes pegs etc.) designed as a stimulus for the children's imagination and creativity.
As the children began to develop their imaginative themes and movement improvisations the adults started to weave the children's ideas into stories.
Annabelle: 'There were some children who had a special map. They followed the pathways and came to a watery place with a water tent and lots of fishes.'
Cieran: 'That was my story!'
Annabelle: 'They came to a beautiful butterfly garden with a spider spinning a delicate web.'
Cieran: 'And that was Harrison's!'
Role-play, movement improvisation, performing, storytelling, and making developed. Though the adults actively focussed on children's movement, they gave equal value and attention to both their physical and their verbal expression. The children connected with each other and the adults through movement, often linking their imaginative ideas with actions and gestures.
Three children are sliding their feet on blue fabric and playing with being off balance, waving their arms in exaggerated movements. They look at each other making eye contact and tumble to the floor, laughing and rolling as they fall.
Cieran: 'It's ice, it's slippery.'
Mckenzie: 'I fell down on the ice.'
The children learned about themselves through interacting with others. By engaging creatively with each other they were inspired to develop their self-expression into new areas. For example, a boy who was purely interested in physical expression started engaging with stories and imaginative play. For some this process involved taking emotional and physical risks, one girl who is normally slow and controlled in her movement was observed exploring the free-flowing action of spinning.
Documentation was important. It was used as a resource for re-visiting and developing the children's ideas, valuing their input and involving them in the process of reflection.
A final enactment of an imaginative journey brought together all the art forms experienced by the group into a creative event. The children made a map, which represented all the places and characters from their stories. They followed the map and visited the ‘water tent', the ‘island', the ‘bear cave', the ‘butterfly garden' and the ‘field'.
One after another the children lie on the green fabric on their backs. There is an atmosphere of enjoyment and excitement.
Elena: 'I can see far away to the moon. I can see shooting stars - blue and red and green.'
Cieran: 'I can see the moon.'
Libby: 'This is brilliant!'
In the last session the children were invited to move with Annabelle one at a time while the others watched. Annabelle responded to each child by following their lead and mirroring their movements. The adults were surprised and delighted by the children's movement improvisations, which were unexpected in their fluency and expressiveness. They communicated through their bodies in their own unique way, showing sensitivity and versatility.
These movement conversations revealed their growing trust in others and confidence in themselves.
