Creative Childhood's Exhibition

For the past six months or so, there has been an important Early Years and Creativity projcet taking place in Birmingham. Its aim - to look back at ten years of arts projcets and reflective practice in the city. The whole thing has culminated in an inspiring exhibition at the St Thomas Children's Centre in Attwood Green. I was working at the St Thomas Centre in the creche on tuesday, so I was able to pop up at lunchtime to have a look around - could have done with a whole day really - so much exciting stuff to watch and read. I'm extremely fortunate to have worked closely with St Thomas' for the past five years. Director Cynthia Knight, wrote the following introductory text in the accompanying leaflet for the exhibition :

Creative Childhoods - Working together to make learning visible.
"For at least ten years Birmingham early years educators, artists and parents have been exploring and researching the magic of children's creativity and thinking. Stimulated by our own pedagogues as well as those of the Scandinavian countries, US and Italy, we have been asking questions about children and enabling environments.

We have held exhibitions and conferences, worked with a variety of different agencies and participated in projects to try and deepen our understanding of: Environments for thinking and learning family creativity and learning children's musicality relationships The power of materials extending and sustaining children's thinking The effective role of artists in educational settings sustaining and embedding projects The role of documentation. Many more questions we wish to research further. We think the questions are of fundamental importance in supporting children and family's aspirations - indeed those of the government, as described in the children's plan and Early Years Foundation Stage.