WeCreate is the name of a pilot project that has spent a long-time in gestation. It’s now in its tender, early stage of being put out into the world. It’s an offering from my creative heart to yours. A service to parents of young children, and indeed, to the children themselves.

​

The aim is to provide a regular space wherein creative community can thrive. A cared for space, providing small groups of family units with nurture, nourishment and inspiration in the form of art making together.  This will be a term-time, nature-based, Waldorf-inspired, nurturing arts program, which will follow the seasons and the wheel of the year.

​

Each session will be designed to nourish your senses, with things to smell, touch, taste, look at or listen to as a way in to creating with colours and materials. Working sometimes out of movement gestures, we’ll create out of the feeling/imagination of being a new shoot pushing up out of the earth, or whatever. Attuning to the seasonal changes around us, we’ll enter the inner world of colours and explore their dynamics and moods.

​

My vision is to assist you in exploring different techniques (many kinds of mark making, printing, wax rubbing, touch drawing, painting and so on) in a way that is meaningful and enriching to you, the adult. Over time, you’ll find out what you like and what you’re drawn to, by trying many things out, and you’ll build up a great array of interesting collage papers in the process. You will become a ‘bricoleur’ and you’ll learn about collaging and layering techniques for creating your own compositions and multi-media art works out of your experiments. You’ll also feel more empowered about how to facilitate art experiences for your children at home.

​

Paying particular attention to the developmental play schemas as we see them in action in our youngsters (the urge to throw, to squish, or to pour, for example), we can think of creative ways to channel those necessary urges through fun art-based activities. This is a place where peer support and gentle education will be taking place, almost by osmosis. Through witnessing the children and attending to them with curiosity, we will begin to free ourselves up in the process. These carefree mini creators are our biggest teachers in fact. As we know, toddlers are just beginning to learn impulse control. As healthy, functional adults we’ve learned to control our impulses, but we’ve possibly become too restricted/inhibited and control mechanisms have come to dominate. Thus, order and chaos are two elements that will naturally feature in a parent and child painting journey.

​

That said, there is no expectation that the children join in with all the art making. There will be toys and sensory objects to explore and play with as well. However, this will be a precious opportunity for them to experience creative freedom with numerous art supplies and playful processes, and the good news is, YOU won’t have to clean up the ‘mess’ afterwards. They will also benefit hugely from just being in a setting where an atmosphere of creativity, connection and joy is being cultivated.

​

A typical session will look something like this:

• Arrive and settle

• Sensory experiencing / movement / introduction of theme

• Indoor art activity

• Tea and snack

• Outdoor activity - collecting things for mark making with, or for looking at (shape/colour/whatever)

• Then more art activities following on from this, either outdoors or in, depending on weather/mood

• Circle to end – sing a song / share our discoveries / simple closing gesture of some kind.

The venue is very accommodating of the indoor/outdoor flow I envisage. Situated right on the playing field in Hartfield, there’s lots of space for running around outside. There’s also the playground and the footpath to the stream and woods into which we can venture. There’s ample parking, and its set back from the main road. There is a disabled loo, and kitchen facilities, so we should be very comfortable. It’s lovely and light in there too, so it’s perfect for our purposes.

​

Do sign up for a taster session, if this sounds like a good fit for you and we can get this baby rolling! This is a free offering, but donations are very welcome.  I so look forward to meeting you.

A ‘bricoleur’, by the way, is someone who creates using whatever materials are available. At home, in life, this can include torn up pages from books, scribbled on things, napkins with nice patterns on – anything and everything is fair game for incorporating into our work!

​