Over the past 6 weeks I have been working in collaboration with performance Artist Dot Howard to deliver a series of workshops that "explore space and encourage problem solving" with 6-11 year olds at Hainford and Frettenham Primary partnership schools in Norfolk, UK. The image above shows an example of the work that the students have created. It has been an incredible journey to illicit student-led learning by engaging youngsters in the creative process that we ourselves go through each time we make Art. Dot and I have worked together before, but scrutinising our practice and process together has yielded many insights. We have been focusing on the junction where drawing, sculpture and live art intersect to explore spatial surroundings. By using the Fischli and Weiss film "The way things go" as a starting point, we embarked on a journey with 4 different class groups to create kinetic sculptures and discover new ways of looking: From custom-made "mirror tools" and sky-walking with periscopes, to underwater photography and helter-skelter sculptures made of every-day materials, the groups have employed maths, science, DT, literacy and teamwork to question "What is Art?" I am already beginning to see how this intense exploration of space through materials is informing my own studio work while at the same time helping a younger generation to explore their own creative potential.
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