- Creative Connections for Children
Project title: Creative Connections for Children
Organisation: St Leonards Primary and Ravenswood Heights Primary School
Amount funded: $5,000
The Creative Connections for Children project was aimed at children aged three to five years at St Leonards and Ravenswood Heights Primary Schools. Styled as an ‘Artists in Residence’ program, the project was initiated in recognition of importance and benefits of developing creativity with young children through visual arts.
Involvement in the arts helps children to develop creativity, imagination, cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, fine motor skills, and much more.
The Creative Connections for Children project also created opportunities for positive interaction between parents and children and provided stimulation and education through the arts.
The Artist in Residence, Gardi Palmer, was involved in the development of the project, receiving direction from consultation with the parents involved, to ensure that the community had real ownership over the project.
The experiences that the children and parents enjoyed have had a positive impact on the kindergarten program. Children and parents quickly gained confidence in their artistic abilities and were keen to join in and work with others in the ‘terrific atmosphere’ created by Gardi, who provide a treasury of ideas about what is ‘art.’
Comments from families in the program included:
‘I never thought that I would see (my son) doing this sort of stuff and I’ve always wanted him to enjoy artistic things.’
Parent, Ravenswood Primary
‘My child has gained confidence in speaking and working with other children’
Parent, St Leonards Primary
‘My child has enjoyed being able to play with other children and do activities we wouldn’t do at home.’
Parent, St Leonards Primary
A dress-up tea party was held after six weeks of the program. Families worked with Gardi to create the costumes, masks, hats and food. Parents agreed that program was entirely successful and they ‘wouldn’t change a thing.’
