‘IT’S ARTY TIME’

DEVELOPING ARTS ACTIVITIES WITHIN COMMUNITY SETTINGS

As told by Claire Wilton, Volunteer Coordinator ‘It’s Arty Time’

My name is Claire and I’m a mum of two girls aged 3 and 12 weeks. I used to be an environmental campaigner, working with community groups across the country, until I took voluntary redundancy in Sept 2009. With another baby on the way I wasn’t ready for a new job but I wanted to do something for the community where I live. In the last few months of my job I got really interested in using the creative arts to make campaigning more effective and more fun, and I wanted to explore this a bit more.

I love doing art and making things with my 3 year old, but to begin with I wasn’t sure what kind of things she’d be ready for. I wish there had been a group I could have got ideas from when she was just starting to get interested in crayons. Then I went to WOMAD festival and was inspired by the Bristol Play Bus. I sat on the grass in the sunshine surrounded by toddlers, glue, feathers and glitter and decided I wanted to recreate this in York (without the sunshine if necessary).

When I saw on the Space 109 website that Jo Pullar was looking for a volunteer mum to help set up a group for parents, babies and toddlers, I thought it would be a great way of trying out some of my ideas and getting to know the community sector better. Jo and I met 2 or 3 times to chat through our ideas, design publicity and plan how the sessions would work. Jo used her experience of Space 109’s previous messy play session, and I was able to make sure our plans were realistic, based on my recent first-hand experience of the abilities and attention spans of toddlers.

We launched ‘Its Arty Time’ about 6 weeks after we first met. We decided to just get started and be there in the venue, trusting the publicity to start working within a couple of weeks. After the first couple of sessions when we sat there alone, 2-3 families started coming regularly, and since then we’ve had an average 5-6 toddlers attend each week.

I love watching 2 and 3 year olds listen to what I tell them we’re doing, then catch sight of the paint, grab a brush and do exactly what they feel like anyway. I’ve learned that one child can be incredibly neat and keen to follow instructions while another just wants to use scissors week after week, and that both approaches are just fine. At first I felt awkward about asking parents for the session fee but we only charge £1 a child and it all goes on materials, juice and biscuits and without it the group couldn’t exist.

Before Arty Time, Space 109 used to run a messy play session. I always meant to take my own daughter, but either we had something else on, or she fell asleep at the wrong time, or I just forgot. There are so many things that can get in the way of attending activities with toddlers, but the important thing is just to provide them and believe that somebody will benefit.

The first couple of weeks, Jo and I sat alone rather sadly with our fun prepared activities but people soon started coming, then word of mouth brought more parents in and we now regularly have a room-full.
We’re so lucky to have Space 109 and all its resources. It’s a huge space with forgiving white walls, bags of fabric, boxes of chalk and pencils and piles of scrap paper and card. We don’t have to worry about mess and it’s great for running around and letting off steam. We also have Jo to call on for proper artistic inspiration. She recently led a session showing the kids how to draw a person by really looking and the results were surprising.

In the future, I’d like to take the toddlers on a trip to the art gallery or to Yorkshire Sculpture Park where they can see art in a completely different context, then come back and make their own versions. I’m also hoping we can make Arty Time appeal better to parents who otherwise couldn’t afford activities like this, or don’t have the confidence to get messy and create stuff with their children at home. I’d like to see a real mix of parents in the room, all helping each other’s kids to express themselves by getting sticky and painty.

Story told by Claire Wilton, Volunteer Coordinator ‘It’s Arty Time’

Storycatch supported by City of York Council (Inclusive Arts, Arts & Culture) - July 2010