AccessArt Family Learning

The Proposed Project

AccessArt Family Learning is a new initiative aimed at promoting creativity through a grassroots programme of visual arts workshops, the collaborative creation of online family learning resources, and the development of AccessArt Family Network nationwide. 

The Proposal so far...

• Updates for respondents
• Outline of the Project
• Stage One: Grassroots Workshops and Creation of Online Family Learning Resources
• Stage Two: Development of AccessArt Family Learning Groups and Piloting of Online Resources (definition of)
• Beneficiaries and Outcomes

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Updates for respondents

AccessArt Family Learning is an inclusive initiative and we have sent out a consultation document inviting comment and partnership enquiries. These pages provide updated information.

During the consultation period we will be getting back in touch with schools/centres/organisations who have expressed an interest in the project, and we will be asking for further information to help us shape the project and make it relevant.

We do not intend to sift through respondents and discount any at this stage - and we welcome more partners. We will keep all respondents up to date through these pages and via email updates.

Once the project is finalised and funding bids are ready, then it may be that some respondees decide the project is not for them, but hopefully the project will remain as inclusive as possible.

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Outline of the Project

 

AccessArt Family is aimed at promoting creativity amongst family learning groups through a programme of sculpture workshops and the collaborative creation of family learning resources.

The project has two distinct stages and geographical areas as described below.

 

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Stage One: Grassroots Workshops and Creation of Online Family Learning Resources

 

Although small in scale, Stage One of the project aims to create a solid framework and starting point for the rest of the project.

 

Stage One comprises a programme of practical family sculpture workshops. These workshops will in themselves be shaped by the participants - but at this stage we anticipate the workshops will centre around basic making/sculpture skills.

 

After discussion with Andy O'Hanlon from South Cambridgeshire District Council, these grassroots workshops will take place in Cambourne, a "new" village just to the west of Cambridge. As a new community, Cambourne residents often feel excluded and isolated and may benefit from the family learning experiences offered.

 

The workshops will be delivered to small family groups, which will allow us to work closely with each family member. In addition to providing participants with an in depth experience, the workshops also aim to collect all the resources necessary for us to create (still in collaboration with the workshop participants) a series of online resources which will then be piloted by other family learning groups during Stage 2.

 

Schools, community groups and organisations in the Cambourne area are invited to contact us to join in this stage of the project: paula@accessart.org.uk

 

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Stage Two: Development of AccessArt Family Learning Groups and Piloting of Online Resources

 

Stage Two of the project involves the setting up of AccessArt Family Learning Groups and the piloting of the online resources created in the later phases of Stage One.

 

An "AccessArt Family Learning Group" might be defined as a group of family learners brought together to learn through AccessArt Family Learning Resources. It might be an already existing group of family learners who might like a new direction or focus for their learning, or it might be a new group of family learners created especially to learn from the AccessArt resources.

 

We are looking for partners who might be able to help us to facilitate the development of such groups, and who would be willing to facilitate these learners to pilot the online resources.

 

The map shows potential partners so far.

 

The partners might be community centres, community organisations or schools with a commitment to family learning.

 

AccessArt would work with these partners remotely. We will provide the online family learning resources, advice and information, free of charge. There is the possibility of us financing facilitators to bridge the gap between online resource and family learning experience (and we may be able to provide an element of CPD for these facilitators), but ultimately the online resources must stand alone, or be facilitated by existing family learning leaders so that they can be used by all across the country in flexible and creative ways. We would welcome your views and comments as to how this might work for your group.

 

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Beneficiaries and Outcomes

 

Beneficiaries:

Family learning groups (children aged 5 and upwards, parents, grandparents and extended family). In particular we anticipate targeting families who:

• who would not normally engage in shared creative activity, or
• families who struggle to enable the creative development of their children; or
• families who would benefit from a new and difference focus for their time together, e.g. single parent families, or separated families;

In addition we aim to attract hard to reach audiences by the fun, challenging and practical nature of workshops (i.e. fathers and children making making large scale sculptures).

We anticipate the workshops will:

• Offer a variety of learning opportunities (making, drawing, designing, animation, video) and ways of learning (spatial, visual, kinetic);
• Respond to the needs of the particular learning groups involved;
• Enable an exploration of appropriate materials and equipment not normally available to children (pliers, hammers, glue guns, withies, canes, etc);
• Allow adults and children to learn effectively together, and to support each other, as well as small sessions apart to enable adult to understand how they might support younger learners. 

Outcomes:

AccessArt Family Learning Resources will:

• Provide the time, space and materials to develop creativity as a family:  
• Encourage creative action and lateral thought;  
• Develop core making skills (construction, casting, modeling);  
• Help adults identify which learning styles are appropriate for themselves and their children (spatial, visual, kinetic) and understand how they might learn best; 
• Give parents the skills and knowledge needed to support the development of their children’s creativity; 
• The creation of new family learning groups in rural Cambridgeshire and across the UK – creating new friendship and learning groups across ages by shared interest and experience; 
• Signpost opportunities for further learning.

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Family Learning Home, Family Learning Consultation, Project Need, Project Partner Map, Register your Interest, Funders & Sponsors, Timescales

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Last updated 13th August 2008