Creative Schools: A Blaze of Colour - conference 01.02.22

 Te Rito Toi is a fabulous resource I have posted about previously that shows us the value in using the arts to re-engage children in learning following disasters and crisis (i.e. EQs, COVID). This conference was an opportunity to explore some of these lessons and have workshops with wonderful art practitioners.

Professor Peter O'Conner began today by sharing 'Teaspoon of Light' -  It is an ideal lesson for first days back and may be extended upon.  Peter took us through the lesson with us as his students, which allowed us to experience how powerful every element is and that schools must prioritise time and space for art and to connect, create and be together. A warm up and connection activity (a drama game where we moved around space and greeted others in variety of ways) immediately made the space seem more comfortable and friendly/safe. Contributing to a cloth of dreams - chatting to others or not. 

Peter talked about the power of questions, especially questions the teacher did not already know the answer to (apparently there is research showing this is 1/10 000 questions teachers ask) "What do we need?" is powerful question- Peter talked about one student offering a 'cloud bowl' to mix the ingredients for the thread required to repair a cloth of dreams. "Have you got one?" is next powerful question - this allows students to offer of opt out, gives students the power.  "Where is it?" (group in role = cloud bowl).

Peter talked about his new entrant teacher and that each day she would send them off to get treasure. And they would bring her back a leaf, a stick... and she would take time to talk about the treasure. This teacher taught the children about noticing what is in the world and noticing the treasures.  

Affective learning. We care therefore we learn.

Workshop 1 was run by two 'creatives' who spoke about their experience working with a school as part of MoE's Creatives programme and funding. (Our School has also been part of this Creatives opportunity, we had physical theatre artists Beth and Katie at our school in term 1, 2020.) 

It was and interesting session with Mindy and Geva to hear their perspectives. They had worked with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and used the creative framework below in their project with a school - explore, experience, refine. Explore: talk about an artwork, experience: play with  materials and elements of art, refine: reflect and consider key ideas and messages in artwork. In their lesson we explored and unpacked a completed artwork (sculpture created by students they worked with using natural elements eg leaves and earth to make colours), then had a play with some materials (experience). we had a piece of paper for 'mark making'. To explore - so no pressure, no outcome expected. When we came to refine our work we drew on some of the themes and ideas from our explore discussion - eg 'how can we rearrange the pieces to show the idea of freedom?'. We have 'learn, create, share' and this is a creative learning framework to help us go deeper and maybe more thoughtfully with our creating. 

Talk at this session also emphasised art for wellbeing and connection. 

Selina Tusitala Marsh shared her fabulous book, Mophead, which we'll get for our school library, and a couple of creative writing exercises that will be fun to do with the kids.  Selina is a really engaging facilitator and a wonderful author for our kids to connect to. She has been a NZ Poet Laureate - and part of her message is making people aware that NZ has a Poet Laureate and how awesome is that.

The third workshop was run by Christa Napier-Robertson who oversaw development of learning framework (above image) that Geva and Mindy worked with in the first workshop. Christa shared another Te Rito Toi unit, The Long and Short of it. It is good to check out this planning and see how Christa uses the creative thinking framework. Christa ran through some of this unit with us. It's something that could easily be adapted across school levels. 

It was a reminder how easily and creatively we can use visual arts, creative writing and drama to re-engage our students and build connections - and all these amazing, local resources are available to us and we are encouraged to use them.

 Having the arts experiences ourselves during the day, to sit in a creative space and feel the calmness, connection, creativity and community, reaffirmed the power and value the arts have in education.