Reflection from Summer

During the Summer I have: 

• Delivered play hut back to Cliftonville to Steven and Dan, 
  
• Documented changes to it
  

Originally I'd planned to continue with a week long workshop in Cliftonville but decided on a three-week summer scheme project instead as I wanted to explore differences between areas in Belfast. In BCC I've delivered art workshops, being employed as a Art CO-Ordinator for the summer scheme. There are a few questions I wish to consider:

• How has this position reflected in my practice and enhanced my research?

My observational experience from BCC has been the differences in the children. How available facilities influence a child development and imagination. How being close to nature even in a city is more important than man made environments.

• What was my creative input into the summer scheme? 

The summer scheme was completely left to me to design and plan except for the request to create banners for the fun day and exhibit the children's work in an indoor space provided. I was concerned with the 4-6 group as I hadn't worked with such a young age before.My creative input was in the planning of the workshops and in my decision making to produce video and audio spinoffs from the project. 

• What differenced are there between BCC and CCC - differences in my position, process and in developing relationships? 

I had a different position here in BCC than in CCC as with CCC it was a longer project where relationships could be established and an environment was created where I gained a greater insight into the groups needs. For the summer scheme it was a rapid turn over of children. Workshops ran for an hour each, managing groups of an adverage of 15. Also there was several volunteers supervising workshops. these volunteers had valuable skills that I only got to learn about as the workshops passed, for example bow and arrow making skills. The quick passed workshops were a lot less personal and the focus was on group creativity rather than individual. 

• What are the outcomes from short/long term projects? 

Apart from above, outcomes in a long term project can be more advance, sustainable, reflective and greater in standards of quality, in comparison to short turned over workshops. Having said that the large groups are great to work with for generating ideas and creating discussion. 

• Has my role changed as  a creative facilitator?

My role as a facilitator has improved with regards to planning, designing, providing materials and facilities. I've gained valuable knowledge in these areas. As a creative facilitator also I think because I'm adapting to a larger range, provoking news ways of creating and capturing a creative process and advancing in engaging groups 

• Is my research with BCC and CCC bringing me closer to setting up a play space? 

Yes it has. Learning what's important these children, what facilities are available, their closeness with nature, the effects of living in a Interface environment. All of which feeds into my research about children's sense of adventure or loss of in Northern Ireland, feeling safe in 'their' environments and what play spaces would benefit these children if any.

• What have I learnt from the hut making workshops in other areas? 

When the children in BCC were asked 'Have you ever made huts before? Where was it? What did you do in them?' nearly everyone had a story to tell from making huts with their bed sheets, to using the clothes line outside to being on the beach or in a forest. These children offered more. Was this because of their age? Was it because there's more challenging play environments available to them in their daily lives?