A multi-arts project for Early Years children with additional needs
Bangers & Smash co-founder, Kitty Pidduck, was invited to devise a project for Early Years children with additional needs and their families as part of Watermans Arts Centre’s Short Breaks programme in Spring 2020.
The project was facilitated and run by Kitty with support from Steve Grocott (composer, storyteller and early years/primary music specialist), Aislinn Jeffers (arts psychotherapy student) and Art Jar.
Kitty introduced the project to Short Breaks’ families with an interactive music session combining songs from the project with Christmas songs and activities at Watermans’ Short Breaks Christmas Party.
Getting ready to welcome Short Breaks’ families to the project launch – check out our festive wheelbarrow!
Nine sessions then ran from 10.30am-12 midday every Friday throughout the Spring term (except half-term) with two further sessions cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sessions included:
original songs and stories
art and craft activities
sensory play
junk-instrument-making
dressing up and role play
musical games
dancing and moving to music
listening to and joining in with a band
Playing with a sensory duck pond
Based on themes of discovering nature and wildlife, the project was inspired by Kitty’s song-based animation series, currently in development with King Bee Animation.
Banner image: Steve Grocott showing children a singing bird in a cage