diversity
A Creative Partnerships month long investigation with Y1 pupils in at Wybunbury Delves and Acton Primary schools in Cheshire.
David worked with lead artist Eve Harrison to explore how music and dance and exploration of the natural environment can enhance a child's understanding of diversity.
We started on the basis that diversity could only be appreciated if the children had their own strong sense of place. The schools are twinned with communities in West Africa. It's startling to realise that birds were common to both communities - not just in species, but, because of migration, actually individual birds.
We started by taking the pupils on a series of walking tours and investigative outings in their local area. We studied birds, their calls and their migration behaviour. We learned English and African folk dances, played djembes and sang songs. We flew kites, painted masks and made leaves and nests from clay.
Both projects culminated with a sharing event for parents and the wider community. In Wybunbury we took visitors on a walking tour of the village, stopping off to sing and light the bell tower with LEDs and jelly. In Acton we created a performance about migrating birds.
