13th December 2018
Here is the original transcript
The Improvisation Experts: Tales from the practices of an Early Childhood Artist
I have been working with very young children for over 30 years and the best piece of advice I can give anyone new to the sector is that whatever you think is going to happen, young children will confound you – never underestimate them! If you can roll with this, if you are a good improviser and open to new unexpected things, then they will surprise and delight you too.
As part of a collective of early years arts practitioners (Magic Acorns) who have particular cross-art abilities to engage young children through gesture, movement, object play, and voice play, I am very keen for the arts sector as a whole to recognise that this work is uniquely skilled. In her TED talk Dr Alison Gopnik proposes that, “Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species”. This statement not only raises the importance of this age, it offers the potential of a creative exploration between young children and those artists who encounter them. This is why I work in early childhood, it is never boring, and my young co-creators constantly take me to new places. I am a performing artist with a background in community music and street theatre, I have a particular interest in improvisation and to keep this practice sharp, I work with improvisation experts – toddlers and babies.
My practice involves creating immersive environments with young children and those who care for them, I help cultural organisations to develop their early years work, and educational and health services to grow and embed creative arts as part of what they do. As part of the Magic Acorns artists collective (which has grown out of the Priory Childrens Centre Arts practice), I have been working with the arts council Festival Bridge to ask the question “How can we make the early years matter to leaders and funders?”
Sadly, I sometimes find a profound lack of interest in young children, an assumption that they have nothing to offer as an audience or participant for arts activity and therefore are not worth the investment. Despite what our education system currently does, the purpose of being a child is not to become an adult as quickly as possible and each stage of development is an important and valid stage in its own right. Therefore arts practices for young children cannot be scaled down versions of work with older children, this sector requires a very particular and specialised approach. Crucially, creative spaces for young children are not about pre-determined learning outcomes, whatever you think will happen invariably wont, but happenings will certainly take place. An early years arts practice involves not knowing where things are going and embracing that not-knowing.
If you are wondering whether babies and toddlers can be actually discerning audiences, I can only say, try engaging with them, holding their attention or having a sustained conversation through facial expression, voice play, journeying and/or movement - because a good early years artist will do just that, beautifully, and if you can engage very young children, you can engage anyone. Babies and toddlers understand the foundations of unadulterated, intensive interaction – they are the most discerning audiences and I think that there is a political and ethical imperative to be creating the most exquisite work for them.
The cultural sector’s early years offer is a variable and disparate picture but there is some amazing work out there. I would advise cultural organisations wanting to develop work to seek partnerships with experienced arts practitioners with track records and never assume that this work is straightforward or goes by the same rules as other work. Avoid franchises that promise the world and deliver a one-size-fits all template. If possible see what is happening in other countries. I would advise artists wanting to work with young children to spend as much time as they can observing the practices of experienced early year artists, ask lots of questions, and, if possible, hang out with actual children, initiate nothing for a long time, see what occurs and eventually introduce something that interests you and see what they do with it.
A key factor, for me is not relying on words and talking. I try not to talk at all in my own practices. Giving directions and expecting toddlers and babies to follow them won’t work, nor will they to sit and passively watch. Creative work has to be much more interesting than that! An experienced early years artist co-creates with children, multimodaly - through combinations of movement, gesture, voice-play, object play, mark making, musicing, funniness etc. They will work with children through their many and varied communicative modes rather than trying to dominate by talking. This requires tuning into children and spending open-ended, improvised time with them, working in abstract ways where anything can happen.
I have learned to keep the groups I work with small, no more than 12 children. This kind of work is focused, intensive and meticulous so groups need to be small. There are always adults who accompany young children, parents or practitioners. Making art with young children means making art with those who care for them, parents, grandparents, practitioners and child minders. Being able to gain the trust and confidence of those adults and get them on board is crucial. I have found that there is often fear and lack of confidence around both the arts and being a parent, so an early childhood artist needs to hold the creative space for adults as well as children. As I say, its highly skilled work.