ORCHARD PARK PRE-SCHOOL

INSPIRING BIGGER ART

As told by Mary Passeri, Community Artist (ArtyFarty)

Orchard Park Pre-school is a small but vibrant playschool in the Huntington area of York. The staff are all very enthusiastic and caring, the children happy, curious and very engaged with the business of playing and having fun.

Staff at the playgroup have always worked to encourage and support parental and family involvement in the play group. They have a particular interest in encouraging the involvement of grandparents. From this a wish to engage with the wider local community has emerged. The staff also wanted ways to challenge their practice and enrich the children’s play (with emphasis on creative play).

This where I became involved. I have worked as a community artist for many years here in England and in Italy. While living in Italy I trained and spent some time in the sunshine working as an Atelierista, an artist specifically trained to work attached to primary schools and in the community.

After speaking to the group on the phone I couldn’t wait to meet the staff and children and help them put together an exciting project.

Walking across the car park to the community hall that houses the pre-school I thought that surely I was in the wrong place. I asked a couple of young mums sitting in the near by park if they knew where the local play group was … they had no idea! Then from behind high fencing and barbed wire came the sound of children’s voices laughing and singing. I had found Orchard Park pre-school.

Moving through the doors of this anonymous and austere building I was immediately caught up in a whirlwind of the sound and colour of children playing. Looking around the nursery at the children’s play and creative opportunities I could see that the staff were already offering a range of child led creative activities and I knew that together we could quickly lift the children’s creative activities to a whole new level.

To resolve the two challenges facing the playgroup - how to engage with the wider community and how enrich the children’s creativity - we looked to the children themselves.

The children are particularly fond of the story the ‘Hungry Caterpillar’. So the story could provide the theme for the creative activities culminating in a ‘GALA FUN DAY’ complete with a magical dancing caterpillar to parade around the outdoor play area transformed by the children into a wonderland of giant flowers and butterflies.

The children were also delighted by the idea that once upon a time their mummy and daddy (and even grandparents) were little children and played outside in the garden just like them. It was decided that a nice way of encouraging community involvement and interest would be to create a community story book telling stories of the games that children used to play growing up in the local area. It is hoped that visitors to the Gala Day will write a line or two in the ‘jumping puddles and sunny days’ story book...illustrations provided by the children. The Gala Day is open to friends old and new will form part of the national children’s art week.

We made the carnival ‘Hungry Caterpillar’ head with willow tissue paper, a copious amount of glue and tons of enthusiasm. It was so much fun, even if it was a bit of a challenge for some of the smaller children at first but they soon got into the swing of things sticking on layers of tissue. One little boy just liked to rip the tissue up so that was his job to be the tissue ‘ripper-upper’ and he took his role very seriously. A couple of little girls decided that some ‘bling’ was required so went off in pursuit of sequins. By taking materials and using methods already familiar to the staff and children I was able to encourage them to take part and be more adventurous as one member of staff said ‘we do sticky all the time but never big like this’. Things were about to get bigger!

We used 18 metres of material and pots ‘n’ pots of paint to create our caterpillar’s body. At first the staff were a little hesitant watching the children hand paint and print the length of cloth We splashed and slapped at the paint enjoying the feel of the paint and watching the colours mix beneath our fingers ... of course a ‘muckiest hand’ competition was in order. However, before we were finished the staff had joined in squirting even more paint and singing ‘squishy’ songs. Again they had responded to using familiar materials and methods in a new and exciting way.

Needless to say the resulting caterpillar is rather wonderful, it’s slightly lopsided but bright and cheerful and all theirs. The children love it.

Have a look at my ‘Big Caterpillar Top Tips’. I can’t wait to decorate the garden!

Story told by Mary Passeri, Community Artist and ArtyFarty
Storycatch supported by City of York Council (Inclusive Arts, Arts & Culture) - July 2010