Slightly Bizarre Situations
by Helen Willmott, Director at Made in Corby
Sometimes running an arts programme means that you find yourself in unexpected, and to be perfectly honest, slightly bizarre situations. A few weeks ago I spent a Saturday morning surrounded by sponges of all sizes and colours. And in that hall was a group of small children with their parents and carers, playing, laughing and having a whale of a time. Sponges were squeezed and thrown in the air and some of the adults were dancing around wearing giant sponge skirts. It was a scene of chaotic joy.
The sessions on that Saturday were called Sponge Play and were run by Liz Clark from Turned On Its Head, a company that specialises in dance performances and workshops for early years children and their families. They were hosted by Pen Green Centre for Children and their Families, where Liz has been leading regular sessions with children and families for a couple of months, alongside sessions in storytelling led by Collar & Cuffs. The activities are part of a new partnership between Made in Corby and the centre and we have lots more planned together over the coming year.
Together, we share a belief that being creative is vital to the development of children’s personal and social skills. Essentially, the sessions are all about play. They create a safe space for children to develop personal and social skills as well as providing an opportunity for the whole family to have fun together. And as statistics show that families with young children are amongst the least likely to attend traditional arts events, it’s a great way to be creative together.
We’re planning lots more activity like this for our Autumn/Winter programme, including more dance performances and a very special project at the centre bringing together dance, music and sculpture, so watch this space!
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